Orit's Third Summary and Response

Summary of “How Steve Jobs Made Business Cool Again, 1981”

By: Virginia Postrel

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-08-26/how-steve-jobs-made-business-cool-again-1981-virginia-postrel.html

According to Virginia Postrel's article "How Steve Jobs Made Business Cool Again, 1981"   in the Businessweek (August 26^th, 2011)   Steve Jobs made a significant cultural change of the perception of businesses and work.

Until 1981 the business executives and managers were known in the public only for their business activity and financial achievements. Doing business until then was perceived as boring, impersonal and the objectives at that time were financial.

In 1980 young entrepreneurs' of which Steve Jobs was one of them built up very successful business, became millionaires in their 20s and became heroes, celebrities and role models. The initiative and drive was making money but it was as well based on aspirations, pleasure and self-expression and satisfaction.  These people kept working very hard although they had more money than they knew what to do with and that they could spend. This was a cultural change. Business and work became a passion.

These businesses that started at Silicon Valley in a garage grew rapidly and became a new workaday reality and cultural norm. In different to the past the business became known and big source of interest to the public like sport and fashion. The traditional models of managers were replaced by young brilliant, arrogant college dropout entrepreneurs' not well dresses and without a tie.  The concept of work changed too. The work started filling a large part of people's life and in order to be satisfied and do a good job people need to love what they do and believe in it (Steve Jobs speech in 2005, Stanford University).

According to Virginia Postrel the change in the norm and the new concept of work offers greatness and self-fulfillment but also perpetual dissatisfactions. As the objectives are now not only making money but also having satisfaction and leaving a cultural mark the risks in achieving it are high and the work becomes the people identity.

Response

I think that Virginia Postrel explains very well the cultural change Steve Jobs and the other young entrepreneurs' made in the way people think of  businesses and work.   It is not any more only a place people make money. It is as well a place where people should be creative, find interest and get aspirations and satisfaction.  The work became a very import part of people's life.  I fully agree with Steve Job's statement in his speech that people need to love what they do. We are spending most of our time at work and it is important to enjoy and have satisfaction from it. We will then do a great job.

Yutaro's Third Summary and Response

According to the NY Times article of In Alabama, calls for revamping immigration law by Campbell Robertson. The state of Alabama has been considering about new anti-immigration law.  In order to receive garbage pick up service, dog licenses and flu shots at county health department and such basic cares, recipients needs to proof that the person is either a citizen or a legal resident. This law has been considered as most aggressive state-level immigration law since the day, September 29, became effective. Some political leaders are already considering about making changes, not only slightly but big one.

  There are reasons this law is not as easy to change as most people think.

  First one is very simple. Eighty percent of the population of states thinks it is a good bill, which makes for politician to hard to deal with in order to keep their supporter. But as they hear more complaints from business owners, some of them may start re-consider.

  This law is putting illegal immigrants in tough place by them not being able to receive utility services such as electricity, water, and gas. Also receiving basic permissions like renewing driver’s licenses, business licenses and car tags.

   There are some unintended consequences people suffer as well. For example, a military guy who just came back from Afghanistan trying to get a tag for new truck was not able to receive his tag since he did not have birth certificate to proof he was a legal citizen.

  Until the Legislature meet and discuss such issue in January, discussion and problem coming from this law will not be gone.

Response

The whole nation of America was built by immigrant for immigrants. If their reasoning is whoever comes first get served first, there logic makes no sense since most of the land did not belong them to begin with. It seems to me a little contradiction towards one of American traditional value of equal opportunity. Some may argue that illegal immigrants are not Americans, but I firmly believe that important thing about being an American is not being born in America but having American and liking America. I personally do not care to become an American citizen but I do not think anybody have right to stop whoever want to be an American, after all this is still a young country. Also main duty politicians are not getting elected by saying voter would like. Politicians job is having solid idea that would not change no matter what the circumstance is. I am sure most of politician understood those basic ideas when they started their career but after while, I guess, their priority changes from expressing solid idea to getting elected to stay on their comfy seat.

Giang An HUY Third Summary and REspond

www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/us/middle-class-areas-shrink-as-income-gap-grows-report-finds.html?_r=1&ref=business
 

Title: Middle-Class Areas Shrink as Income Gap Grows, New Report Finds

By SABRINA TAVERNISE

Published: November 15, 2011

According to SABRINA TAVERNISEs’ article “Middle-Class Areas Shrink as Income Gap Grows, New Report Finds” on New York Time, there is a big change in the number of middle class families in the US.  A recent study shows that map of prosperity has changed with increase of rich and poor families, and the decrease of middle class families. The study raises a concern over the gap between the rich and poor in the US. This is the consequence of the change in the US economy with the decline of Middle class jobs and income.  The other issue is that the landscape of resident area with the increase of rich and poor area, the middle class residential area is decreasing by day; therefore, the equality of opportunity is also decreased because the children in poor area have less access to good school, education facilities, and the poor areas have less access to public facilities such as park and public transportation.

I do agree with the article in some perspective, the gap between the rich and poor is wider; however, I believe this is just a temporary situation because the US economy is recovering and that will increase the number of middle class jobs. The middle class families who became low income family because of bad economy will have a good change to revise their finance and social class.  

Bruce's Summary (3)

Summary of “Obama Plans to Step Up Talks on Free Trade Pacts”
By SEWELL CHAN


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/business/10trade.html?scp=6&sq=korea%20fta&st=cse

According to SEWELL CHAN: Obama Plans To Step Up Talks on Free Trade Pacts in Neyork Times (February 9, 2011), on Wednesday, the Obama administration said that they were going to absolutely turn in the bill to expand the two free trade agreement - Colombia and Panama - by the end of the year.

Ron Kirk, The United States trade representative, also mentioned that the administration will even submit KORUS FTA as well.

Apparently, members of the new Republican majority in the House let other know the two agreements couldn't make progress because of opponents.

Mr. Kirk also said said American trade negotiators would go to Colombia to achieve a goal to evolve the agreement.

The Colombian Embassy said it is time for Colombia to get new deal since they are different from the past.

Representative Dave Camp of Michigan said America is dangerous as other countries or orgaznizations, such as Canada or EU, made better deal than America had done.

On the other hand, Mr. Kirk said "We will not sign agreements just for agreement’s sake and They must be enforceable and of the highest standard and in the interest of America’s workers, farmers, businesses and entrepreneurs."

Response

Politic is so complicated. This is the first impression while I'm doing this assign. The reality is just like competetion which is American traditional value - we learned in class. It seems America and Colombia both want to make benefits for their country. However, it is hard to make win-win deal. Also, if someone fales negotiation, it is unavoidable to get blame from their citizens. Furthermore, since Korea also has the issue about dealing with US FTA, this article reminds me of the arguements of pros and cons for The US FTA. I think I should appreciate politicians for not fighting other countries since they would argue to achieve their goal with other groups of people. Also, it seems hard negotition. Specially, the world politics.

3rd Summary of Jiarui Li

3^rd Summary of Jiarui Li

“When Minority Groups Collide”

http://library.cqpress.com.ez.sccd.ctc.edu:2048/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2001021620&type=hitlist&num=1

Summary

Recently, redistricting efforts specially focus on right of voting in the congress of the ethnic and racial minorities which are in the majority. However, they are facing two problems of creating majority-minority districts. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said to majority that they might not separate people into different voting districts basing on race. The second problem is who can represent the voice if there were two or more minorities at the same time in the same area. Multicultural and multiracial districts will face more challenges of the political power of African-Americans, Hispanics and other minorities (Jennifer Gavin.)

Response

This article fairly describes the factor of situations that they are facing. I think the two problems of what the article demonstrated can be solved.

Thee Generations...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/your-money/three-generations-two-comfy-homes-a-few-steps-apart.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=three%20generation,%20two%20comfy%20homes%20a%20few%20steps%20apart&st=cse

Summary

Three generations living together in the same location, Wanda Urbanska the mother of the family, her son Henry, 14 years-old and her mother a retires college professor. Living together makes sense economically because of current situation, and also it can rely on each other. Working together they gained access to thing that they could not have alone like buying a house which was bigger than what would had bought by separate; however, they still having their own space.

Zoning rules are obstacles of those people who want to transform or expand a home, but in some popular zoning rules have been changing; nevertheless, some people ignore zoning rules and build, transform, or expand any way. Because of the grand demand a new industry is emerging known as the cottage industry. Builders of this new industry wants to make the price competitive with the cost of being in a nursing home, so in that way peoples will be more likely to build the cottage house.

Finally, living together can help to save money by splitting bills and to have better relationship being close.

Response

I think living near or close to family is a convenient way to get easy help from them, also I think it a help to keep a good relationship with who live near to you. I believe that family is a fundamental pillar in our live, so living near to them is always good.

Jessica's third summary

Calming Schools by Focusing on Well-Being of Troubled Students

By Anna Phillips

New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/nyregion/calming-schools-through-a-sociological-approach-to-troubled-students.html?ref=education

Summary

According to Anna Phillips’s article “Calming schools by focusing on well-being of troubled students” in the New York Times Wednesday Review (October 14^th 2011), Mark Ossenheimer, who was principal of the Urban Assemble School for Wildlife Conversation, convoke the meeting include several teachers and a social worker. They watched the students and list names of student, who have problems outside the school such as deep depression of housebound parents, illness, gender-identity issues and etc. This meeting was Turnaround for Children, a nonprofit organization for helping student solve their issues. Dr. Pamela Cantor, who was Turnaround’s founder and president, said that this organization was created to solve and these children can leave their issues at the door and come in and perform is dreaming. Turnaround focuses on students’ psychological and emotional well-being. After many years, people argue that school should pay attention on what high-quality, well-trained teachers can achieve in classroom. In 2009, an independent study by the American Institutes for Research found that after three years with Turnaround, five Bronx middle schools were happier places. Each school reported fewer student suspensions and teacher absences, and four of the five placed fewer 911 calls. Moreover, the rate of improvement of grade at school is increasing clearly day by day. For instance, Patrick Kelly, principal of the Urban Science Academy, said that the improvement in the school’s atmosphere as “dramatic” because this school has been working with Turnaround for 5 years. Every teacher in a Turnaround school is required to undergo training and good experience in how to manage and prevent yelling or asking a student to leave the room. In New York City, federal grant brought Turnaround to more schools, even in elementary school.

Response

This article is true and I agree with that. In my opinion, I think Turnaround is good organization for all students because it could provide metal help for students who are in trouble. For example, Jenny, my friend was really depressed after her parents’ divorce; she couldn’t concentrate to study because she felt really upset about that. I think if my school has Turnaround organization, it will help my friend cope this problem easily. Turnaround could make many schools become happier place.