Author Archives: ascarallo

Posts by ascarallo

Public Health Problems/Solution

Posted on May 1, 2015 by ascarallo

In present-day New York City, public health has been a growing area of concern. Despite New York State being ranked as the 14th healthiest state in America, there are still several problems that can be associated with the public health of NYC. Three problems that I have pinpointed are physical inactivity, the work-life balance, and food deserts.

Physical inactivity in NYC was reported at 25.7% for 2013. A person was defined as physically inactive if, during the 30 days prior to taking the questionnaire, they had NOT at any point participated in any physical activities or exercises, such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise. This is shocking to me. For more than one in every four New Yorkers to not perform ANY physical activity for a month obviously has its adverse effects. The effects associated with physical inactivity as per a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University are: a greater risk of developing high blood pressure, heart problems, anxiety and depression, and certain cancers.

As for the work-life balance, we live in the financial capital of the world. This title comes at a price. In a 2014 New York Times article titled, “Why You Hate Work,” a successful chief executive of a multibillion-dollar company was quoted saying, “It seemed like I was always cheating someone — my company, my family, myself. I couldn’t truly focus on anything.” I think that this quote speaks volumes of our current state as a society. In order to be a successful employer, we often have to make sacrifices in our personal life. In order to be a good family member, we are often forced to make sacrifices on the job. This demanding lifestyle is unhealthy and unsustainable. According to statistics provided by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Americans spend 10-20% of their time on unpaid work. Additionally, 14.3 hours of our day on average are devoted to leisure and personal care, including sleeping and eating. The Untied States ranks 32nd of 36 among OECD countries in this category. While this website only provides national statistics, one can only assume that the percentage of time on unpaid work increases in NYC while leisure and personal care time decreases.

Lastly, I’d like to touch upon food deserts in New York City and why they are such a problem affecting public health and wellbeing of New Yorkers. A food desert can be defined as a geographic area where members of the community have little or no access to affordable, healthy produce. In a report prepared by the Economic Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture, we learn that roughly 2.3 million Americans live more than a mile away from a supermarket and do not own a car. In New York City specifically, approximately 750,000 residents live in food deserts. In recent years, many supermarkets and food providers have closed down or relocated due to increased rent and/or little or no profits recorded. Food deserts are most prevalent in low-income neighborhoods.

While the three problems described above are all serious predicaments that need addressing, I’m going to take this time to discuss a possible solution to food deserts in NYC. Food is a necessity of life. With supermarkets and other food suppliers unable to stay open, we need to discover a new way of getting affordable produce to those in areas labeled as food deserts. After doing research on how other cities have approached this problem, I think a viable solution to this ever-growing concern can be for the twelfth wealthiest university in the world, Columbia University, to fund a non-profit produce truck that goes around NYC selling affordable goods to New Yorkers. Because of the fact that some areas surrounding Columbia University can be labeled as food deserts, it would be a nice, innovative way for the prestigious university to give back to the community. The produce truck would go around NYC to areas proven to have minimal access to fresh fruits and vegetables. It would accept food stamps and be reasonably priced so that even lower-income families would be able to rely on the truck. There is no reason that Columbia shouldn’t be able to fund this project, being that school’s endowment is currently $9.2 billion. I believe that if this produce truck were to be implemented, we would certainly see over time a decline in the percentage of people with limited access to affordable, healthy food options.

References:

  1. http://a816-dohbesp.nyc.gov/IndicatorPublic/publictracking.aspx
  2. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/cardiovascular_diseases/risks_of_physical_inactivity_85,P00218/
  3. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/opinion/sunday/why-you-hate-work.html?_r=0
  4. http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/work-life-balance/
  5. http://www.foodispower.org/food-deserts/
  6. http://www.nonprofitcollegesonline.com/wealthiest-universities-in-the-world/

 

 

Questions for Kim Wales

Posted on April 16, 2015 by ascarallo

1. What is the most successful start-up that Wales Capital has come across? What about this start-up made it so successful?

2. What is the most common weakness that you notice in start-up companies? In other words, what is the one thing that hinders them most?

Questions for Arielle Kandel

Posted on April 14, 2015 by ascarallo

1. What are the greatest challenges you face with immigrant women in the LEAD Program and in the Hear Me! Project?

2. When did you realize that you wanted to dedicate your life to bettering the lives of young immigrant women?

Gender and Economic Growth Solutions

Posted on April 13, 2015 by ascarallo

In my previous post, I discussed three distinct problems concerning gender equality and the economic growth associated with it. The gender equality problems examined were: the wage gap, the gender disparity in management positions of companies, and the gender disparity in our own United States Senate. Here, I would like to delve into the possible solutions to these problems.

First and foremost, we must address the wage gap between men and women. In present-day America, a woman makes roughly 78 cents for every dollar a man makes. After being elected into office, the first piece of legislation signed by President Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The purpose of this act was to investigate and take action regarding pay discrimination based on gender. Since the signing of the bill, the wage gap has remained relatively stagnant. The bill hasn’t had much of an effect to date. The bill formed an Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force, whose duty is self-explanatory. The force is there to enforce current labor laws and encourage government officials to take more action surrounding the gap. One of the innovative methods it used to make the public aware of the gap was referred to as the Equal Pay App Challenge. This contest challenged the public to create applications available on smartphones that would raise awareness of the unfair nature of wages. 4 apps were selected as grand prize winners, all of which are available for free via the iTunes store. While this contest may have produced awareness for the wage gap, it had no real effect on the numbers associated with it. The wage gap has remained the same over the last few decades and economic growth has been limited as a result. In order to attack the gap, the Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force needs to do a better job. Countless numbers of companies find loopholes in existing legislation and this enables the wage gap to exist. If this task force can be aggressive and persistent in its efforts and even pass new legislation, fairness can be achieved with time. Areas of focus for the task force can be union representation, maternity leave, minimum wage, etc. Two-thirds of minimum wage workers are women. Therefore, raising the minimum wage would thus help close the wage gap. As equality slowly becomes attained, the economy will flourish as a result.

Next, I would like to touch on the gender disparity in management positions of companies along with the gender disparity in the US Senate. In my problems piece, a shocking statistic was brought to my attention. Women make up 53% of entry-level employees, 40% of managers, 35% of directors, 27% of vice presidents, 24% of senior vice presidents, and 19% of executives in the C-suite. A way that a solution can be achieved is to start from the ground up. A recent article from the Harvard Crimson reports that the Harvard Business School is now looking to target women-only colleges in an attempt to address the underrepresentation of women in its student body. With women currently underrepresented in business school, there is no wonder why men occupy the majority of management positions at the next level. If more schools of business were to take this approach, the number of women in management would surely increase as a result. This current gender disparity is not merely a product of employer bias. In MBA education, 1 in 3 American students are women. If universities can focus on recruiting women to their MBA programs, women in management positions will rise. This is the first step we can take as a nation to lessen both of these disparities noted above. If we can do this, economic growth will be guaranteed as a result.

Although these problems cannot be solved over night, persistent efforts will help combat the injustices associated with gender equality.

References:

  1. http://rooseveltinstitute.org/new-roosevelt/how-fix-gender-wage-gap-going-far-beyond-app
  2. http://www.dol.gov/equalpay/apps-winners.htm
  3. http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2015/4/8/hbs-women-colleges-recruitment/
  4. http://poetsandquants.com/2013/06/11/the-mba-gender-gap-persists/

 

Gender and Economic Growth Problems

Posted on March 29, 2015 by ascarallo

In present-day America, we often speak of how far women’s rights have come over the years. However, it must be said that there is still an obvious gender gap that is hindering our nation to this very day. Here, I will discuss the problems associated with this gender gap and how these problems are currently affecting the economic growth of our nation.

According to Elizabeth Nyamayaro, the gender gap is hurting the nation as a whole from an economic standpoint. If a man and a woman were both to make the same amount of money in a year, the woman is more likely to spend that money on family, friends, and other related expenses. In contrast, men are more likely to put their earnings into a bank account or investments. This has been proven. According to the Department of Labor, women earn roughly 78 cents for every dollar that a man makes. If men and women received equal pay, think of how much this would allow the economy to thrive just by looking at it from a consumer-spending point of view. Unequal wages are a current problem related to gender inequality that is holding back the economic growth of the U.S..

Next, I would like to touch upon the gender gap in management of companies. A recent survey of 60 major corporations confirmed that the percentage of women in the higher ranks of organizations demonstrates inequality to say the least. According to the piece, women make up 53% of entry-level employees, 40% of managers, 35% of directors, 27% of vice presidents, 24% of senior vice presidents, and 19% of executives in the C-suite. Aside from these stats demonstrating our nation’s bias in hiring men to management positions, there are also economic growth problems that result from this bias. According to a publication by the Harvard Business School, companies that have women in management positions have been statistically proven to be more successful and generate greater profit. With greater profit comes greater economic growth. Therefore, this disparity between the percentage of men and women in management positions is clearly a problem that is hindering the economic growth of our country.

Lastly, I would like to take a look at gender representation and disparity in our own government. While this may seem an extension of the previous problem, I think that it can be viewed as an entirely different one. In the U.S. Senate, men and women are given the task of writing bills and voting on them. As of 2014, the Senate was comprised of only 20% women. Our country has always been referred to as the land of opportunity. However, the opportunities are often limited to Caucasian males. Last year, the Senate blocked a bill that would have mandated employers to release information regarding wage differences and required a justifiable reason explaining the differences. I believe that if there were equal gender representation in the Senate during the time of the vote, it would have gone through and become a law. Having representatives in government that actually stand for the public good translates to laws being passed benefitting society as a whole. According to the slides shown in class, where the influence of women in public life is greater, the level of corruption is lower. Women are an extremely effective force for rule of law and good government. With this being said, equal representation in government can certainly help promote economic growth just by the mere fact that women have proved to be honest, uncorrupt leaders. As a result, I think unequal government representation has to be viewed as a problem that needs addressing in the near future.

References:

  1. http://www.ravishly.com/2015/03/16/gender-equality-isnt-just-womens-issue-interview-elizabeth-nyamayaro-un-heforshe-founder
  2. http://www.dol.gov/equalpay/
  3. https://hbr.org/2013/09/women-in-the-workplace-a-research-roundup
  4. http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/conferences/2013-w50-research-symposium/Documents/eagly.pdf
  5. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/09/women-future-cities-new-york-keys-to-empowerment
  6. World Bank: Gender Inequality, Economic Development, and the Knowledge Economy (ppt)

 

 

 

Solution 2 – The Future of Work

Posted on March 17, 2015 by ascarallo

In my last post, I discussed possible problems that can be associated with the future of work. As I delved into the potential difficulties that our future of work may hold, I made note of the anti-social nature of many present day offices, the job security of the permanent worker, and the effectiveness of our education system.

Here, I would like to touch on the anti-social nature of offices. As time progresses, the traditional office setting and the social nature associated with it is diminishing. According to Global Workplace Analytics, from 2005 to 2012, the telework rate has grown 79.7% amongst employers. This growth statistic takes into account for-profit employers, non-profit employers, and local, state, and federal government employers. Roughly 1.5 million American employees have been removed from the traditional office setting and instead transferred to their own homes over this time frame. This is a problem as many bosses and managers no longer have a relationship with their employees. The same can be said for employee-employee relationships. How is a company supposed to thrive cohesively if its workers only maintain contact with one another primarily through a computer screen? Teleworkers or not, primary interaction amongst employees is done virtually now.

A solution that I propose to fix this anti-social predicament is for companies to designate a few days per month where all employees are mandated to come in, share ideas, give presentations, work in groups, and attain an understanding of their co-workers. Many employees have noted that they often feel unmotivated and complacent when working from home. Working from home offers a sense of comfort but also allows for several distractions. Performance is hard to regulate when on telework. If men and women were forced to come in to the office, give presentations on their work, and discuss with their colleagues the thought process going into each project and how they approached each problem, the company would thrive holistically. This would allow for employees to broaden their relationships with coworkers, and it would really force them to tackle their work more seriously. When giving a presentation, you need to know the ins and outs of your work. These designated days would serve as performance regulators along with social outings that would strengthen relationships that would benefit not only the company but also the wellness of each person. My parents have both been on telework 3 days a week for the past ten years. They have confessed to me that their performance on the job has suffered since they were moved home. They think that if they were forced to go to the office 5 days a week, they would be able to interact with coworkers on a daily basis and this would enable more creative thinking. Therefore, while 5 days a week in the office isn’t always feasible, mandating a few days per month promoting group work and creative thinking would benefit the current anti-social nature of many workplaces. This is a viable solution to a problem that has worsened over the years.

References:

  1. http://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics
  2. https://www.mobileworkexchange.com/mobileworker/view/1571

 

Questions for Debera Johnson

Posted on March 10, 2015 by ascarallo

1. I have read that through PALS (Partnership for Academic Leadership and Sustainability) you attempt to advance sustainability in art and design education . What techniques have you used in trying to advance the sustainability? What types of events and exhibits have you organized? Have they been successful?

2.What is the difference between the two terms “style” and “fashion?”

Problem 2 – The Future of Work

Posted on March 7, 2015 by ascarallo

As our world rapidly becomes more technologically advanced and our ideas transform in a similar fashion, the workspace as we’ve come to know it is slowly starting to change. With this transformation imminent, it is only right to identify some possible problems that this future could hold.

First and foremost, I am going to identify the possibility of our workplace becoming even more anti-social than it already is. I would like to use my parents’ jobs as examples. When I was in my younger years, both of my parents worked 5 days a week in the same office. My father’s closest friend is a co-worker that he met in that very office. As a child, colleagues were always at our house for dinner and barbecues. The office was seemingly a home away from home. As time has progressed, however, the company has ordered employees to work 3 days a week from home in an attempt to minimize office space needed and maximize productivity. There is no longer a desire or need to form relationships with colleagues. I think that this definitely has to be viewed as a problem. Our workforce and our nation in general is becoming more anti-social as a result of companies’ desires to maximize productivity at any cost. By putting employees on telework, all we are doing is isolating our workers and promoting an anti-social lifestyle. Being in an office with co-workers and friends promotes relationships that can be essential to a company’s success and a person’s happiness and well-being. It seems as though many companies are moving away from this through technological advancement and it can be detrimental in the long run.

Additionally, with an increasing number of freelancers and contingent workers available to companies, the job security and availability of the traditional permanent worker is in jeopardy. According to Intuit, a Silicon Valley based software company, it is predicted that by 2020, more than 40% of the workforce will be made up of contingent workers. The effect that this has on the permanent employee is that he/she may look disposable to an employer. For employers, it is worth it to hire contingent workers. In 2005, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 18% of contingent workers had employer-provided health benefits compared to 56% of permanent workers. Because of the unstable economy of recent years, companies may lean towards contingent workers. They act as a buffer of sorts. Following a recession, contingent workers will always be the first ones hired and in times of trouble, will be the first ones laid off. With these facts presented, it must be said that the job availability and security of permanent employees are surely to be put into question in future times. Freelancers and contractors just appeal more to employers than a permanent worker does on many occasions.

From an educational standpoint, the great young minds of our society are obtaining more schooling than ever before. However, a report released, “The Multi-Generational Job Search” states that of 2,978 employers surveyed, only 27% of these employers believe college has adequately prepared college graduates for employment. With tuition rising annually and college debt up above $1 trillion, we must question the effectiveness of our education system moving forward. School is supposed to prepare us for work but as this report suggests, it clearly is not. Currently, our students are spending time and money in school ineffectively. These students should be learning practical skills and techniques that would increase effectiveness straight out of college. What this means for the future of work is that companies will continue to be forced to train post-grads more than they should be required to unless our education system makes an adjustment. This essentially hinders the effectiveness of our nation’s future of work.

References:

  1. http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/12/what-we-give-up-when-we-become-entrepreneurs.html
  2. http://www.cornellhrreview.org/making-cents-of-temps-the-costs-and-benefits-of-contingent-workers/
  3. http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2014/05/20/is-college-adequately-preparing-students-for-workforce/

Centre for Social Innovation – Questions

Posted on March 5, 2015 by ascarallo

1. In your opinion, what is the most successful social innovation that has been developed at the Centre for Social Innovation?

2. On an average weekday, how many people come to the centre to work on innovations? Since its opening, have you noticed a steady increase in the number of people making use of your workspace or has it remained relatively constant?

Solution 1 – Policing

Posted on February 25, 2015 by ascarallo

In my previous post, I discussed a few notable policing problems that came to mind after reading and analyzing several articles and sets of data. I concluded that three main policing issues that certainly have room for improvement are stop-and-frisk racial profiling, police brutality, and community-police relationships.

From thoroughly examining these problems, I’ve determined that in order to improve the community-police relationships, we must first make better the racial profiling associated with stop-and-frisk along with police brutality. In my opinion, I believe the only way to stop the racial profiling associated with stop-and-frisk is to eradicate stop-and-frisk completely from the system. As long as this practice is in effect, minorities will always be the target. For one reason or another, cops always seem to deem minorities more “suspicious” than Caucasians and it is nearly impossible to alter the mindsets of individual officers. Some may suggest to implement a system where for every minority stopped a white man should also be stopped. With this, the purpose of the system has failed. Cops would no longer be performing these actions to keep the city safe, but rather to please the public eye via illegitimate statistics. This is why I believe the entire stop-and-frisk system must be eliminated. The first step to this was actually initiated by a federal judge in August 2013 who ruled stop-and-frisk unconstitutional. With reforms currently being implemented, I believe doing away with the entire practice is the way to go.

Stop-and-frisk currently occurs roughly 1,900 times per day in New York City. A viable alternative I see is reinstating CompStat, the program used with Mayor Rudy Giuliani in office. CompStat synthesizes analysis of crime and disorder data, and as a result the department is able to identify crime patterns and problems. After issues are identified, officers actively meet and discuss overlying problems and devise a strategy to attack and eliminate these problems. While I don’t want to go too in depth into this strategy as a replacement, the fact that this program focuses in on the “real criminals” who commit “real crimes” is key. I’m not by any means advocating marijuana use, but stop and seizure of marijuana should not be the top priority of the city. Through CompStat, the NYPD would be able to work proactively with the community to eliminate criminals who put the lives and wellbeing of others in danger.

While I believe this is the solution to stop-and-frisk racial profiling, I think police brutality can definitely be reduced and even eliminated through the use of body cameras. In September 2014, it was reported that body cameras would undergo a trial run in NYC with a small number of officers being equipped with them. I think that this is the ultimate solution. When people are on camera, they act differently. It is just a matter of fact. When an officer knows that his/her encounter with a criminal is being documented from start to finish, he/she will hesitate before doing anything that could be potentially harmful. While the police brutality image cannot be changed over night, I think the implementation of body cameras to NYPD officers will slowly but surely have a positive effect on the stereotype associated with cops and police brutality. All in all, if stop-and-frisk racial profiling and police brutality can be successfully addressed in the manners addressed above, we will see the relationship between the community and the police department improve endlessly. If the community starts to see an alteration in these areas, they will start to once again trust the men and women in blue. With trust will come a much improved relationship with those current distrusting members of the community.

References:

  1. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/nyregion/de-blasio-stop-and-frisk.html
  2. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/federal-court-ruling-allows-nyc-implement-stop-frisk-reforms/
  3. http://www.compstat.umd.edu/what_is_cs.php
  4. http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Free_Online_Documents/Compstat/compstat%20-%20its%20origins%20evolution%20and%20future%20in%20law%20enforcement%20agencies%202013.pdf
  5. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/05/nyregion/new-york-police-officers-to-begin-wearing-body-cameras-in-pilot-program.html

Comments by ascarallo

"Alyssa, while I do think Peer Health Exchange is an excellent tactic in educating the young minds of society on healthy living, I can’t help but raise a question. Why are teens not being educated by those who are being paid to educate? Peer Health Exchange volunteers are certainly doing a service to their city and peers, but why are so many schools unable to generate a health curriculum that can be deemed as beneficial to students? Kids are trapped in a classroom memorizing history facts dating back to the beginning of time (which some may consider necessary and vital) when they could instead be guided by professional educators on how to live their lives going forward. We have a serious problem on our hands as far as public health is concerned and the only way we can try to fix it is by coming to the realization that it is indeed a problem. When our education system realizes that this is a problem and makes it a priority, this is when we can move forward as an education system and as a healthier city."
--( posted on May 8, 2015, commenting on the post Health Problems and Solution )
 
"Denise, I agree in large part with your solution. I think it is imperative to intervene and alter dietary habits at an early age. When a young boy or girl is obese, unless drastic measures are taken such as strict dieting or excessive physical activity, that young boy or girl will often grow into an unhealthy and overweight adult. In order for the adults of our society be happier and healthier, we must target the youngest members of society and try to change the way they eat. A perfect place to intervene would be in New York City public schools, as you said. In order to change the current lunch menu in schools, I think it may take more than mere parental support, however. While the voices of parents are always heard, officials fail to listen to these voices on many occasions. If we were able to get a big name in our society to jump on board and really exploit the unhealthy nature of our current NYC lunch menu, they will have no choice but to act. It is our goal and mission to better the future of New York and this solution would be an excellent way to start working towards a happier, healthier New York City."
--( posted on May 8, 2015, commenting on the post Public Health Problems + Solutions )
 
"Alyssa, I think your group's plan to set up a mentorship system in the City College community is a great idea. It is a truly innovative technique of attacking this glass ceiling. While I do believe that motivation and support are crucial, I don’t think that mentorship alone can change the shape of our workforce. I think that in order for this program to have a real effect, you must, as stated, make sure that opportunities are provided for these young women. Additionally, I think that women must be encouraged to pursue MBA’s. According to the Harvard Crimson, only 1 of every 3 MBA’s earned are earned by women. An MBA gives a man or woman the practical leadership or management skills needed to run a company. Therefore, while women are currently earning more bachelors and masters degrees, I think that in order for statistics to demonstrate in the long run women taking over management positions, women need to start pursuing MBA’s. I think that an increase in this area will demonstrate a direct correlation to women in management positions."
--( posted on Apr 26, 2015, commenting on the post Gender lens- Solutions )
 
"Claudia, I strongly agree with the point presented by the World Economic Forum. We have to start tackling gender inequality from a young age. Gender stereotypes and biases develop well before men and women are introduced into the workplace. As Professor Binz-Scharf noted, her children have already exhibited gender stereotypes and they are still in the earliest years of their childhood. I think a great way to try to eliminate these biases is by introducing a gender-neutral pronoun, as we have discussed in class, in order to portray the message to our youth that men and women are indeed equal in nature. Boys are allowed to play with dolls and dollhouses and girls are allowed to play with cars and superheroes. By introducing a gender-neutral pronoun, I think kids will unknowingly stop forming these societal standards in their own heads that currently continue on into their later years. It’s extremely tough to change fully-grown adults. This is why I think it is imperative to target the youngest generations so that one day our children and our children’s children will experience gender equality. A gender-neutral pronoun won’t be able to alter the current situation on its own, but it is definitely a starting point."
--( posted on Apr 26, 2015, commenting on the post Solutions III: Gender Inequity )
 
"Michal, I’d like to touch upon the “glass ceiling” that you mentioned. In my problems piece, I stated the breakdown of gender distribution of higher-ranking positions. According to the piece, women make up 53% of entry-level employees, 40% of managers, 35% of directors, 27% of vice presidents, 24% of senior vice presidents, and 19% of executives in the C-suite. For some reason, women are rarely hired to management positions. I think that much of this can be attributed to this glass ceiling that you mentioned. Women are 33% more likely to earn a college degree than men are. Yet, there is still this gender divide where men are being placed into these higher-ranking positions even though they may be under-qualified. In present-day society, I feel as though women are timid at times when it comes to applying for these positions. They are just as qualified and on many occasions fit the role better than the man they are competing against. If women as a whole are able to come to this realization and gain the confidence to consistently attack these positions, this glass ceiling may one day shatter. With a renewed sense of confidence and some assistance from women’s rights organizations, this gender divide will become less and less visible and equality will become a more attainable goal."
--( posted on Apr 6, 2015, commenting on the post Problems with Gender and Economic Growth )
 
"Karolina, I agree with you when you speak of men needing to voice their opinions regarding change. At this point in time, there are several jobs that can be considered majority masculine or majority feminine in regards to the workplace. As you stated, men are more linked to jobs involving hard skills such as machine operation and programming while women are more connected to jobs that require soft skills such as care-giving. These are societal norms that must be challenged. However, it is not enough for women to simply voice their opinions. Men in positions of power will only see this as an opposing viewpoint and will often times disregard it. If men of power were to stand up and fight for women’s rights consistently, much like HeForShe does, the bias in the workplace would slowly but surely change. Employers seem almost intimidated by these societal standards. Time and time again we see statistics supporting the bias in regards to hiring men over women in certain positions regarding hard skills. If men were to stand up and fight more consistently, this would surely have a positive impact on the situation as a whole. It is one thing for a woman to stand up to a man. It is another for a man to stand up to a man. Whether we admit it or not, a man willing to voice his opinion in support of a woman is significant because his opinion and his support is of a group of people not representing himself. A man doing this is willing to put his own reputation on the line for the women’s rights cause and as a result he will be taken seriously. If more men are willing to put their own reputations on the line, women’s rights will thrive as a result."
--( posted on Apr 6, 2015, commenting on the post Gender and Economic Growth )
 
"Shawn, I agree with you 100% in your last argument regarding the importance of tests. Neil deGrasse Tyson once tweeted, “When Students cheat on exams it’s because our School System values grades more than our Students value learning.” I find that as we progress through college, everyone is so caught up on a number that is seemingly lingering over our heads for four years. That number is known as a GPA. Students are willing to take cuts on knowledge in exchange for better letter grades. Midterms and finals don’t necessarily assess our knowledge of the subject but rather our ability to take a written exam. Through my own personal experience, I can say that when I’m forced to do a project related to topics learned in the classroom, I get a fuller understanding of that content. On the contrary, often times after I take a midterm or final exam, I have crammed so much that I forget the majority of what I had learned. If students were forced to do more projects related to their classes and majors, this would better prepare them for their future professions. This would allow students to become masters of applying learned knowledge to real-life scenarios."
--( posted on Mar 21, 2015, commenting on the post Future of Work Solutions )
 
"Christina, I am interested by the fact that you choose to view artificial intelligence as a tool as opposed to a threat. After reading the article by Farhad Manjoo, “Will Robots Steal Your Job?” I almost felt threatened by artificial intelligence as a whole. According to the piece, in the past, robots have been programmed to handle “middle-skilled” jobs, ones that require some training, but not much, in order to perform the task at hand. These jobs include secretaries, administrative workers, repairmen, etc. In the future, Manjoo argues that robots will be programmed to perform jobs that require higher skill. This is frightening. Jobs such as doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, scientists, and creative professionals will all be put into question apparently. If robots were ever made to be this intelligent and responsive, higher education would be at risk. Society as a whole may need to start reevaluating the job market. Although I think that this problem could only appear many, many years down the line, I do see the threat that it poses and it is definitely worth thinking about. Intelligent robots would result in low cost, high reward labor for companies. It makes perfect sense for them. However, this would all come at the expense of many hard-working professionals who put years into developing their own intelligence and reputations."
--( posted on Mar 21, 2015, commenting on the post Future of Work Solutions )
 
"As a society, we have all been taught to go to college and get a degree where we would then be able to find a good job that would help us get through life. With the Obama administration taking over, however, more and more college grads appear to be unable to land jobs that would’ve previously been theirs. This is once again, a product of our poor education system structure. By encouraging the employment of men and women without degrees, we are putting those who have invested time and money in the college system at a disadvantage. College graduation no longer ensures employment. This can’t be entirely pinned on employers though. By them hiring men and women without degrees, it certainly means less money they have to spend on wages. Men and women without degrees are simply cheaper for a company. As people grow older and seek retirement, many men and women simply can’t retire because employers are unable to provide lifelong benefits that would ensure a financially secure retirement. This is a problem that is prevalent. With these men and women keeping their jobs longer, this leaves the younger generation with fewer employment opportunities. I don’t view these all as isolated problems but rather predicaments that are all related and must be approached holistically."
--( posted on Mar 11, 2015, commenting on the post Work Problems )
 
"Alyssa, the statistics you presented in regards to our education system are extremely intriguing. Similarly to the argument I made, you state that employers are seemingly unconvinced by the employees on the job market. The fact of the matter is that our higher education system is not getting the job done. The world is changing on a technological level at a rate no one has ever observed, but like you said, our education system seems to keep the same curriculum for years on end. Our higher education curriculums should be working hand-in-hand with employers in an attempt to build a bridge for the bright young minds of tomorrow. At this point in time, education seems to be hindering us. As for your points regarding office layouts, I don’t believe that a standardized office layout is a solution. Each person performs his/her most effective work in a different setting. For me, I work best when I am in a confined space with no one to bother me. Others may deem a collaborative work space as beneficial for their own productivity. I think that desired work space layout is unique for each and every person. At the end of the day, productivity is a result of a person’s own comfort level in their place of work."
--( posted on Mar 10, 2015, commenting on the post Problems with the Workplace )
 
"Christina, I am very intrigued by the solutions you have presented. When you talk about possible alternatives to the current methods of training, I like how you allude to the fact that currently, officers are trained to react before a problem even appears. When officers do this and take action without knowing the details of a situation, the innocent civilians of society are often the victims. While analysis of body movements and expressions seems feasible on paper, I think it is extremely difficult on some occasions to successfully determine when a weapon is going to be pulled and when it is, it may be too late. Pepper spray and tasers are extremely effective if you are in close proximity (15 feet) of the possible attacker. I think turning to these “non-violent” weapons would be a great solution to our current problem associated police brutality. Using these weapons instead of firearms would eliminate the problem momentarily and allow the officers to effectively evaluate the situation and get an idea of what exactly was going on. I think that if officers were trained in the academy to use these “non-violent” weapons primarily and only turn to firearms in times of emergency (with an emphasis on deciphering between emergencies and non-emergencies), we would start to see the community’s approval of the police force increase exponentially."
--( posted on Mar 3, 2015, commenting on the post Policing Solutions )
 
"Damien, I agree in large part with your solution. The United States has the largest incarceration rate per capita in the world. For a country that takes pride and boasts about being “the greatest nation in the world,” why are so many people being locked up? The answer, as you reiterated, is due to the fact that half of the prisoners locked up in federal prisons are incarcerated due to non-violent drug crimes. I think drug rehabilitation could definitely be a viable alternative to long-term imprisonment. Personally, I don’t think sitting in a prison cell for years on end has much of a positive impact on anyone. If anything, I think that incarceration negatively affects you on a personal level. Prison is a place where anger and hatred for the government and its officials can reach an all-time high. Implementing drug rehabilitation programs would better our society holistically speaking, in my opinion. However, it’s my job to play devil’s advocate here and pose the question, “What if frequent drug users see this lessened sentence as an opportunity to abuse drugs and get off easy?” For instance, this may lead to the increase in drug dealers. Drug dealers may view this as a low-risk, high reward scenario where even if they got caught, the punishment of a year in prison would be seen as well worth it especially if this punishment includes a drug rehabilitation program. In the end, however, I definitely can see this solution being effective if implemented."
--( posted on Mar 3, 2015, commenting on the post Policing Solutions )
 
"While stop-and-frisk is an obvious problem that has proven to discriminate against minorities time and time again, I believe that the police force is simply scared on many occasions. With incidents such as the Colorado Movie Theater shooting and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in recent memory for many officers, I truly believe that they have no intention of abusing their power but rather are trying to protect the community from another national disaster. In the Colorado Movie Theater shooting, James Holmes bought his gun and ammunition legally and went on a rampage, killing 12. While I think the whole idea of stop-and-frisk is not a bad one, I think the racial profiling associated with it is. In both of the instances mentioned above, the killers were young Caucasian men. As a member of the community who has been stopped and frisked, I am not bothered by it. The officers were looking to see if I was up to no good. After finding nothing, I told them to have a great day as I respected what they did. They were keeping my city safe. With this being said, stop-and-frisk statistics provide convincing evidence that the police force racially profiles. If there were not such a disparity between minority groups’ populations and their stop-and-frisk percentages, I would be 100% okay with the stop-and-frisk procedure. In the end, I think the problem is the racial profiling that is occurring, not necessarily the stop-and-frisk approach."
--( posted on Feb 19, 2015, commenting on the post Problem 1 )
 
"I find your argument related to abuse of power by the police force rather intriguing. In recent times, I think it has become a general notion amongst the public eye that the police force simply has too much control. With this being said, I think much of this abuse of power stems from inadequate training and assessment of employees. While the officer is surely at fault for pushing the innocent 57-year old Indian man to the ground and paralyzing him, I think it is imperative to mention the majority of police officers who don’t abuse their power and go about their job the way they should. The problem, as in most cases, is the minority not the majority. Being able to identify these officers through an evaluation process should be required. Due to the actions of the few, the whole police department receives an image that in my opinion is undeserved. Following the Eric Garner verdict, as I mentioned in my post, there was a march in Manhattan where protesters chanted “’How do you spell murderer? NYPD.’” No, the NYPD is not a gang of murders. Daniel Pantaleo is a murderer and I think that this situation could’ve been avoided if Pantaleo had received adequate training and had been better prepared for dealing with an emergency."
--( posted on Feb 19, 2015, commenting on the post Policing Problems )