The Problem With Social Security Trust Fund - 865 Words

The problem with Social Security trust fund is that at the present time there is more credit in the trust fund than is required for payment of Social Security benefits. â€Å"By 2027 revenue coming into the trust fund will fall below the level of being paid out, and by 2040 the trust fund will be depleted (Quadagno, 2014).†Meaning there will be not enough money from payroll taxes to pay all the benefits that are promised to citizens. This puts everyone who is going to enter retirement in jeopardy. Even though everyone has a right to deserve benefits in retirement I feel more people should take control over their own funds. Some of the reasons that this could have happened is because of the aging of the baby boomers. Another reason is because the population growth slowed since 1960 when women decided to have fewer children. The last reason this could have happened is because people are living longer than the old days. The baby boomer generations are beginning retirement, this c reates a dramatic amount of people who are needed to use the trust fund. â€Å"In 1960 there were five workers for every single retiree. By 2025 that ratio will fall to 2.2 (Quadagno, 2014).† The problem with this is the policy makers do not know how to solve the problem. The two ways that policy makers are trying is to either see if the solution will preserve the basic framework of Social Security as a program or insurance or whether the American welfare state will shift the balance toward more socialShow MoreRelatedThe Social Security System Is The Most Successful Government Social Insurance Program1346 Words   |  6 PagesThe Social Security system is perhaps the most successful government social insurance program in the nation s history; and began with the Social Security Act in 1935. Social Security is a needed federal system that encourages income stability to millions of people across the United States. This is accomplished by giving a stable flow of income to replen ish lost wages that occur as a result of disability, retirement, or death of a family member. There are about 59 million people in the U.S. thatRead MoreThe Impact Of Social Security On The Elderly Population1546 Words   |  7 Pages Social Security Name: Institution: Social Security Introduction 14th August 2015 marked the 80th anniversary after President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in the year 1935. The program has been important in alleviating poverty amongst the elderly population. However, the system has started to how its age. The OASID (Social Security and Disability Insurance Trust Funds) is presently running on cash deficit as the baby boomers retire. The DI (Disability Insurance)Read MoreAnalysis Of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Signed Into Law1440 Words   |  6 Pagesinto law something radical for its time: The Social Security Act. This act changed America’s economic landscape completely, by minimizing the long-existing problem of retirees and the elderly living below the poverty line. Simply put, Social Security is a way to guarantee that older people, namely retirees, have at least a minimal source of income in their later years, by providing around 40 percent of the average person’s yearly income. Social Security both is and fun ctions as a defined benefit planRead MoreEssay On Social Security1655 Words   |  7 PagesThat’s why America created a system called social security in 1935, this system is to help those who are older and have disabilities. (see staff.) 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Economy Operates On A Fundamentally Capitalistic Reward Based Principle1236 Words   |  5 PagesWhen President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935, this was exactly the concern he intended to address [1]. Specifically, as a result of having spent their prime working years fall within the Great Depression, many elderly citizens had not been able to accumulate enough savings to provide for themselves in retirement. 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We all share different cultures, beliefs, and problems; nevertheless, economic security is a universal, human problem that each society has had to encounter in some way. The term â€Å"social security† was introduced to the United States in 1935, during the Great Depression, when the Social Security Act was passed. Social security has created about 16 social welfare programs over theRead MoreThe Social Security Act ( Ssa ) Of President Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal1376 Words   |  6 Pagesover Social Security have been ongoing since its inception in 1935 until today. The trend seems to be toward an increasing percentage of the American public, across party and demographic lines, in favor of strengthening Social Security funding, and a willingness to pay more to preserve and even improve benefits. However, what is not clear is whether Americans favor privatization of Social Security because of fe ars that the Social Security Trust Fund is living on borrowed time. The Social SecurityRead MoreAmericas Social Security: Running on Empty Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesAmericas Social Security is running out! According to Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees â€Å"Projected long-run program costs for both Medicare and Social Security are not sustainable under currently scheduled financing, and will require legislative modifications if disruptive consequences for beneficiaries and taxpayers are to be avoided.† (Social Security Online). Other evidence shows â€Å"After 2022, trust fund assets will be redeemed in amounts that exceed interest earnings until trust fund

Middle Childhood and Adolescence Free Essays

Changes in Peer Relationships in Middle Childhood and Adolescence Statistics say that in the stages in middle adolescence 30% of the child’s social life and interactions there are a great stage of peer pressure. These results were compared to the 10% that is experienced during the early childhood. They show that they are competent by demonstrating their behaviors in these peer groups. We will write a custom essay sample on Middle Childhood and Adolescence or any similar topic only for you Order Now During the elementary years in school, children have to prove to others that they understand and that they are capable of handling the different situations they find themselves in. They must keep a certain criteria in order to have friends. The main concern during these peer groups is to be accepted and most of these concerns are experienced during middle childhood. Researchers have been focusing in the friendship among the children. Friendship is one of the most important parts of the social group between early stages of childhood. Friends fill that special need we have inside and for a child’s development that is one of the most important parts. They fulfill the special needs and they help with communication, interaction, acceptance, companionship and social skills. Peer is more related to the social and popularity status and its acceptance and friendship represents more that relationship that is built on appreciation, respect and most importantly being liked. When the child has reached its adolescence stage, they will experience support from their friends and this will help in their social skills. When they are younger, they don’t experience this as much. So, the more friends they have, the more acceptances they will feel from the larger peers. Adolescent Egocentrism Jean Piaget theory of cognitive development derived from concept of egocentrism. Adolescents Egocentric explains how a teenager feels about him or herself. During the development of adolescence the human body experiences several mental and physical changes. According to Elkind (1967), adolescent’s mental abilities heighten his or her self-consciousness. Adolescent egocentrism actually reflects a weakness in their thinking that is distinctive of early formal operations. Egocentric thoughts develops in two aspects which includes the awareness that an individual sees things in a different perspective and doesn’t seem to understand that others may hold thoughts, emotions, and views different form his or hers. Egocentric is a complex concept that encompasses a wide range of questions of early cognitive development. Studies have shown that female’s egocentrism is more prevalent during their early adolescent period and gradually slows down during their later period of adolescence. The main aspect of egocentrism is both social and cognitive because it reflects o more of how individuals want others to perceive them (Sanrock 2007). For example, many teen spend more time grooming themselves than any other factor in his or her lives. According to Elkind (1967) transitions of the formal operations stages involve its own differences about egocentrism. Personal fables also encourage the adolescent egocentrism that reflect on how an individual relates to others. Adolescence experiencing egocentrism is often seen as a non-positive aspect part of their thoughts because adolescents become taken in with who they are and are unable to function properly in society due to their bias translation of reality. Formal operational thinkers view things in greater complexity and to perceive many different aspects of a situation. Studies today have explained that egocentrism is not always present in the late stages of adolescence. However it depends a great deal on the environment whereas he or she was raised. Peer Pressure Adolescents are faced with a plethora of pressures during this crucial stage in their lives. They are exposed to the difficulties of peer pressure including drugs, alcohol and sex. Peer pressure comes from several different directions. It can come from the media, parents, other family members and friends. An adolescent’s self-esteem plays a critical role in peer pressure and often will set the stage for whether a teenager will succumb to their nagging peers or abstains. At this age, one of the greatest influences comes from older peers and their â€Å"experiences† with life. Older siblings and friends tend to pressure younger adolescents into indulging in activities that may be detrimental to their well-being, often using status to gain their trust. Status quo and acceptance are important to a young mind. If an adolescent does not have the much needed support from their parents and a positive self- image going into this stage of life, they may be more susceptible to peer pressure. Pressure to use drugs and alcohol are two of the most common forms of peer pressure hat an adolescent will experience. At this stage, when a child is coming into their own, they are very impressionable beings. When another peer offers up what sounds like an amazing experience many adolescents will follow suit and give in. Even with the knowledge that drugs and alcohol have a profound effect on the human body, some adolescents will still relinquish their better judgment to â€Å"look cool† in front of their peers. Again, status quo comes into play with substance abuse. Most youth aren’t really interested in the taste of cigarettes or alcohol, but because their friends are doing it, they ill at least try it. Just trying any substance can lead to addiction as the chemicals in the brain become heightened and the impressionable being indulging in them begins to feel a sense of â€Å"euphoria† or finds the substance allows them to â€Å"let loose†. It is very important that parents are aware of the dangers that face adolescence today. As with anything, communication is key. Parents must warn their children of the risks associated with substance abuse while also being compassionate and understanding to this stage of development. How to cite Middle Childhood and Adolescence, Essay examples

Race, Class, and Gender in Freedom Writers Movie free essay sample

Media, which serves as an information and entertainment outlet, also helps to illuminate the different classifications of people such as race, class, and gender. The movie Freedom Writers, directed by Richard LaGravenese in 2007, is a great example of a movie that is filled to the brim with insight and different perceptions of these barriers between people. We follow the story of a teacher, Erin Gruwell, as she begins her new teaching career in a school that has been introduced to an integration program. The students that occupy the desks in room 203, who are disinclined to learn from Gruwell, share their stories and how these social constructions shape their lives. Class plays a significant role in every individual’s life. LaGravenese focuses primarily on the lower class in this movie and shows how much of an impact it can have. Most of the students are portrayed as poor and uneducated, qualities generally consisting of lower class members. In the game that Gruwell plays with the students called ‘the line game,’ she asks students how many of them live in the projects. Incredibly, almost the entire class comes to stand on the line. This game is to show the students that they have more in common than they think and to show how they begin to bond, (Jung-Ah, 246). It also shows the audience what each individual has experienced and to give some background into each person. Learning that the majority of the class lives in the projects and everything they encounter on a daily basis, the audience gains a sense of sympathy and sorrow for them. This is what the director is trying to depict in this movie; that the lower class students’ needs compassion and understanding to help them change from their violent ways into the educated and tolerant youths we know they can be. Throughout the film there are many examples of what the lower class consists of in the eyes of society. It shows poor girls and boys wearing clothes from last year, working on the streets to provide rent money to their family, being homeless, going to juvenile hall at a young age, selling drugs, and most of all, becoming part of gangs. These are all kinds of people we think the lower class is made up of, and it is because we see them as lower class that others, such as the teachers at this high school, assume they are unwilling to change and make progress like all the other students. The head of the department at Woodrow Wilson High School consistently tells Gruwell that the students are not worth all the effort she is putting in, saying they don’t deserve the good books because they can’t read and will destroy them. She is saying that because they are lower class, they don’t warrant the same attention and resources as those of higher classes. Erin Gruwell is the only other person’s class rank that we are presented. She is middle class but she does not look down upon the students as being inferior to her in any way. The other teachers however, start seeing Gruwell as being lower than them because she sides with the students. It is when â€Å"Gruwell is realized to be a ‘‘traitor’’ to her middle-class origins, that they behave in a manner that is vile and sanctimonious,† (Saltmarsh, 128). There is a significant part in the movie where one young Latino girl, Eva, finishes the book Anne Frank; she’s distraught due to the fact that Anne dies in the end. She yells at Gruwell saying if Anne doesn’t make it, what does that say about me? There is a correlation between Anne Frank and the students of the lower class, particularly the gang affiliated ones. Anne Frank was trapped, afraid, and unsure of whether she would survive each day. This is very much how each of the students feel by being in the lower class; they feel trapped, saying the only way they can make something of themselves is by playing a sport or rapping. They, too, are afraid that someone will take their lives; they are paralyzed in a state of uncertainty, not knowing if the next day will be their last. This is exactly why the book hits each student so hard. Class is not only a way for society to separate people, but it’s a way to make others feel inferior and keep the hierarchy intact. Gender, whilst being a biological separation, also separates people farther into superior and inferior roles. LaGravenese did not focus on the negative aspects of gender when he directed this movie; however, it presents itself in various forms such as Erin Gruwell’s husband. He is a failed architect that works a job he isn’t necessarily happy with, and when Gruwell falls in love with her job, he is spiteful to her because of it. He gets more and more upset with her as she spends an increasing amount of time at school helping her students and less time with him. It is a mold that men fit into as soon as they start growing up, they need to be the men of the house and should be the ones ‘bringing home the bacon. ’ It is when the roles are reversed and it is the woman in the relationship that is successful in the workplace that he gets distressed and irritated. When they begin to fight about her job and how she never spends time at home, he says their relationship is not working because he can’t be her wife. The connotations that are suppressed in this sentence are ludicrous. He uses the word wife as if it’s a terrible part to play in the relationship. He insinuates that it’s the subordinate role and he refuses to succumb to it, although he does not see it as a problem when she’s the wife in the relationship. Gender is not just about two different sexes, it deals with the social roles that each of these genders take on. Race is one of the main focuses of this film and LaGravenese makes sure the viewer knows it. Race is seen everywhere, whether we acknowledge it right away or not. The opening scene shows how gang violence has destroyed cities, and we hear the haunting words of Eva saying she had to be a part of a gang, â€Å"†¦to fight for her people, as papi and his father fought, against those who say we are less than they are, who say we are not equal in beauty and in blessings,† (Eva Benitez) The film opens showing the hatred that different races have for each other. Eva plays a prominent role in Freedom Writers; she is full of anger and loathing towards other races particularly Caucasians due to her traumatic childhood when her father is arrested unlawfully by white police officers. She expresses to Gruwell that she hates her and all other white people because she says, â€Å"white people always want their respect like they deserve it for free,† (Eva Benitez). She’s correct, white privilege is real and white people do expect to be treated better because of the color of their skin. While the Latinos, African Americans, and various other races are put into ‘dumb’ classes, the white students get the better resources and respect from the teachers. The one exception to this is the lone white boy, Ben, who is utterly afraid to be in the same class as the other students of different races. Towards the end, he refers to himself as courageous for staying in the class, as if he has faced a monster and defeated it. I particularly hate his choice of words because it shows how ignorant white people are when faced with a racial challenge. It is typical for Caucasians to fear those of other races and it is socially accepted, however, when the roles are reversed and it’s Latinos that fear white people, it’s seen as preposterous because whites are safe while the other races are the ones that are scary and vicious. Outside of the classroom, the groups are severely separated, it’s not by friend’s cliques or who likes each other, it’s separated by race and the people you’ve learned to trust because you’re in a gang with them. They’re separated by skin color, which is what race-ethnicity is all about (Amott, Matthaei, 281). Inside the classroom is no different when they begin; fights break out, nasty notes are passed to each other, and harsh words are exchanged. The teachers only build onto this separation and feeling of subordination by giving them terrible quality books and not putting quality time into teaching them. The teachers in Woodrow Wilson High School in fact blame these students and the integration program for ruining their high scholastic records. Even when an extremely bright African American woman tries to get into advanced classes the school tells her it might be better if she stayed with her own kind. This shows precisely how white people think this is a white country and how other races don’t deserve the same treatment as whites (Rubin, 201). It is people like Erin Gruwell that make this world the kind of place it should be. She looks past students colors to teach them and create a safe haven for them to come into and feel safe. She teaches them about the Holocaust and shows them the effects of mass killing, the devastation, and the pain that come along with it; relating it to their lives of killing other races to protect their race pride and respect. Gruwell takes race out of the equation in her classroom; she shows the students that they have ties with each other, common bonds between them. Although race is a huge factor in everyday life, if we begin to treat others like the students in classroom 203 did, we could move past the color boundaries that put us into superior and inferior positions in society. The movie Freedom Writers is an inspirational and educational film that focuses on the social constructions that make up the society we live in. Race class and gender are all classifications that keep us bound in a hierarchy that keeps subordinates as inferior and dominates as superior. Overcoming diversity is a hard task when our world has been built around separating people into different categories. If we were to teach everyone that whether you have dark skin or light skin, if you’re lower class or upper class, and if you have masculine qualities or feminine qualities, that were all just people trying to make the best of what we are given, maybe we can stop the hatred and anger towards one another; but for now we stay in our boxed in ideas of who should be on top, and who should be stuck on bottom of society.