Thursday, September 24, 2009
Sometimes I don't get it...
After a wonderful concert last night from the Indigo Girls, I rolled back into BG this morning to start another day of rushing from one deadline to another. I rode my bike to campus and stopped by the Velorution 2009 booths in front of DUC (an event for bicyclists or those interested in biking). Unfortunately, the first thing I heard and saw was the “preacher” who makes his yearly visits yelling that we are all going to hell at the top of his lungs. How can we all have such different notions about what is right and what is wrong? They held signs that contained a laundry list of the sins that will condemn us all to hell. The usual suspects were there; homosexuals, liars, drunks, etc. Of course, my favorite was “immodest women.” I love it that these religious fanatics blame women for everything – actually, religion period blames “sin” on women. I can relate more now to the article “My Name is NOT Maria” by Williams, Alvarez, and Hauck in my women’s studies 200 text and this issue of gendered social control. As matter of fact, the entire chapter deals with adolescence and growing up, or growing “into,” our gender as society prescribes it. It is also very interesting to note that this is a very American concept. So, is it driven by consumerism? Power and control? What is the predominant factor here? Is our influence in other countries affecting the way they look at gender? Is there any way to transform this issue?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Why is this going on?
A Rite of Hazing, Now Out in the Open
By TINA KELLEY
Published: September 18, 2009
MILLBURN, N.J. — The principal of Millburn High, New Jersey’s top-ranked high school, says it has gone on for a decade: annual hazing by senior girls who create a “slut list” of incoming freshmen for the first day of school. A dozen or more names are written on a piece of notebook paper, with crass descriptions, and copies are passed around — hundreds this year, some say.
Parents have complained to officials at Millburn High, a top-ranked school, about hazing of freshman girls.
“We’ve had girls — which is one of the bad things — obsessed that their names are on it, and girls who were upset that they didn’t make the list,” said the principal, William Miron. “It’s basically vulgar.”
And that is not the only type of hazing that goes on, some girls say. Seniors blow whistles in some girls’ faces and jostle or push them into lockers, leaving them afraid to come to school the next day.
These tales were out in the open on Friday after half a dozen parents complained to public school officials and a discussion of hazing on a private e-mail group for mothers made its way around this Essex County township.
Dr. Miron said this year’s list was generated at an August sleepover party of seniors involved in athletics. Like most, it took aim at pretty and popular incoming ninth graders.
In past years, students found responsible for hazing have been suspended, and up to six senior girls in one year have been held out of school for three to five days, Dr. Miron said. This year, which parents in the e-mail group considered worse than usual, none have been reprimanded.
“We spoke to at least a dozen freshmen and half a dozen seniors, and not one person wanted to really give any names,” Dr. Miron said. “There’s very little we can really do if a student doesn’t come to us and say, ‘This is what happened.’ ” He added that none of the 150 faculty members reported seeing any hazing incidents this year at the 1,400-student school.
Most of the girls interviewed after school on Friday said they had never been hazed. Some had not even heard of the problem, and some of those who had said it was all in good fun. One girl talking with friends on Millburn Avenue several blocks from the high school said freshmen were unlikely to name names.
“Then you’ll be the loser,” said the girl, 14, who said she had not been hazed and whose father, contacted later, requested that she not be named. “And it gets much worse.”
Across the street, several freshman girls in sports uniforms said that senior girls on the soccer team had blown whistles in their faces, and that some of their teammates had been pushed into lockers.
“I was scared, actually,” one said. “I didn’t want to go to school the next day. It’s done every year, but it’s still pretty mean.” (After the interview, she asked that her name not be used and that the team she was with not be identified.)
Mikayla Nissan, a 16-year-old junior who was walking with friends on Millburn Avenue toward the center of downtown, said hazing added needless anxiety about the first year in a new school.
“It makes them nervous to come to the school,” she said of the freshmen. “They shouldn’t be nervous. High school is all about teachers helping you figure out what you want to do with your future. It should be a more comforting environment. You shouldn’t have to feel new and uncomfortable.”
There have been no reports of injuries requiring medical attention, but experts say bullying can inflict long-lasting and severe damage.
Lisa Ryan, whose daughter is a former member of the soccer team, said she had heard reports of egregious hazing in the past.
“I was horrified,” Ms. Ryan said in a downtown parking lot. “They did get reprimanded.”
One commenter on the Local, the New York Times blog covering Millburn, Maplewood and South Orange, N.J., said of school administrators: “They have an obligation to protect these new and more vulnerable students. The administration can’t continue to lay the responsibility for their inaction at the feet of a bunch of terrorized kids.” (The commenter, contacted by e-mail, asked to remain anonymous, saying, “My kid would never, ever feel safe in the school again.”)
Asked if students caught with the list could be suspended, Dr. Miron said: “A senior with a slut list we would probably suspend. But it sounds so easy talking about it. When a kid says, ‘I just found it on the floor and picked it up,’ it becomes a little bit messier.”
The school’s superintendent, Richard Brodow, sent an e-mail message to parents on Friday saying hazing was against school policy “and just plain wrong.”
“We are encouraging any student who either has been a victim of or a witness to such behavior to please come forward,” Dr. Brodow wrote. “Those who are found to have engaged in this type of behavior will be disciplined. Parents, along with school personnel, must make it perfectly clear that hazing is wrong and we as a school community are better than that.”
The school, which had a note on its bulletin board congratulating its 12 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, was ranked first in the state in a recent survey by New Jersey Monthly magazine. But it has found itself in the news for less savory reasons a few times this year.
In January, a fight in the school parking lot involving a minister and his sons and a baseball bat resulted in numerous criminal charges but no convictions. In March, school officials called in drug-sniffing dogs for a search that produced no illegal substances.
As she was pulling away from the campus on Friday in a late-model S.U.V., one senior said she did not think the hazing this year was any worse than in past years, but “parents are taking it to an extreme level.”
“Hazing has always been a tradition at Millburn,” she said. “It’s never really a personal attack. As a freshman you get pushed on the first day, and it reinforces the fact that they’re seniors.”
She got pushed three years ago. Did she do any pushing this year? “Not more than anyone else,” she said.
By TINA KELLEY
Published: September 18, 2009
MILLBURN, N.J. — The principal of Millburn High, New Jersey’s top-ranked high school, says it has gone on for a decade: annual hazing by senior girls who create a “slut list” of incoming freshmen for the first day of school. A dozen or more names are written on a piece of notebook paper, with crass descriptions, and copies are passed around — hundreds this year, some say.
Parents have complained to officials at Millburn High, a top-ranked school, about hazing of freshman girls.
“We’ve had girls — which is one of the bad things — obsessed that their names are on it, and girls who were upset that they didn’t make the list,” said the principal, William Miron. “It’s basically vulgar.”
And that is not the only type of hazing that goes on, some girls say. Seniors blow whistles in some girls’ faces and jostle or push them into lockers, leaving them afraid to come to school the next day.
These tales were out in the open on Friday after half a dozen parents complained to public school officials and a discussion of hazing on a private e-mail group for mothers made its way around this Essex County township.
Dr. Miron said this year’s list was generated at an August sleepover party of seniors involved in athletics. Like most, it took aim at pretty and popular incoming ninth graders.
In past years, students found responsible for hazing have been suspended, and up to six senior girls in one year have been held out of school for three to five days, Dr. Miron said. This year, which parents in the e-mail group considered worse than usual, none have been reprimanded.
“We spoke to at least a dozen freshmen and half a dozen seniors, and not one person wanted to really give any names,” Dr. Miron said. “There’s very little we can really do if a student doesn’t come to us and say, ‘This is what happened.’ ” He added that none of the 150 faculty members reported seeing any hazing incidents this year at the 1,400-student school.
Most of the girls interviewed after school on Friday said they had never been hazed. Some had not even heard of the problem, and some of those who had said it was all in good fun. One girl talking with friends on Millburn Avenue several blocks from the high school said freshmen were unlikely to name names.
“Then you’ll be the loser,” said the girl, 14, who said she had not been hazed and whose father, contacted later, requested that she not be named. “And it gets much worse.”
Across the street, several freshman girls in sports uniforms said that senior girls on the soccer team had blown whistles in their faces, and that some of their teammates had been pushed into lockers.
“I was scared, actually,” one said. “I didn’t want to go to school the next day. It’s done every year, but it’s still pretty mean.” (After the interview, she asked that her name not be used and that the team she was with not be identified.)
Mikayla Nissan, a 16-year-old junior who was walking with friends on Millburn Avenue toward the center of downtown, said hazing added needless anxiety about the first year in a new school.
“It makes them nervous to come to the school,” she said of the freshmen. “They shouldn’t be nervous. High school is all about teachers helping you figure out what you want to do with your future. It should be a more comforting environment. You shouldn’t have to feel new and uncomfortable.”
There have been no reports of injuries requiring medical attention, but experts say bullying can inflict long-lasting and severe damage.
Lisa Ryan, whose daughter is a former member of the soccer team, said she had heard reports of egregious hazing in the past.
“I was horrified,” Ms. Ryan said in a downtown parking lot. “They did get reprimanded.”
One commenter on the Local, the New York Times blog covering Millburn, Maplewood and South Orange, N.J., said of school administrators: “They have an obligation to protect these new and more vulnerable students. The administration can’t continue to lay the responsibility for their inaction at the feet of a bunch of terrorized kids.” (The commenter, contacted by e-mail, asked to remain anonymous, saying, “My kid would never, ever feel safe in the school again.”)
Asked if students caught with the list could be suspended, Dr. Miron said: “A senior with a slut list we would probably suspend. But it sounds so easy talking about it. When a kid says, ‘I just found it on the floor and picked it up,’ it becomes a little bit messier.”
The school’s superintendent, Richard Brodow, sent an e-mail message to parents on Friday saying hazing was against school policy “and just plain wrong.”
“We are encouraging any student who either has been a victim of or a witness to such behavior to please come forward,” Dr. Brodow wrote. “Those who are found to have engaged in this type of behavior will be disciplined. Parents, along with school personnel, must make it perfectly clear that hazing is wrong and we as a school community are better than that.”
The school, which had a note on its bulletin board congratulating its 12 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, was ranked first in the state in a recent survey by New Jersey Monthly magazine. But it has found itself in the news for less savory reasons a few times this year.
In January, a fight in the school parking lot involving a minister and his sons and a baseball bat resulted in numerous criminal charges but no convictions. In March, school officials called in drug-sniffing dogs for a search that produced no illegal substances.
As she was pulling away from the campus on Friday in a late-model S.U.V., one senior said she did not think the hazing this year was any worse than in past years, but “parents are taking it to an extreme level.”
“Hazing has always been a tradition at Millburn,” she said. “It’s never really a personal attack. As a freshman you get pushed on the first day, and it reinforces the fact that they’re seniors.”
She got pushed three years ago. Did she do any pushing this year? “Not more than anyone else,” she said.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Reflections from the middle of week three - Fall 09
I think more than anything this week, I have been struck by the constant battle over Joe Wilson and whether or not he was being racist when he called Obama a liar. As a matter of fact, race has played a huge issue in commentaries this last week. For me this realization started with Serena William’s tirade during a tennis match then moved to Kanya West and his debacle at the VMAs. Oh, and yes, intermingled in this mosh pit is the unprofessional scene that Joe Wilson caused during Obama’s speech. Now, the first thing that commentators pointed out in each of these instances was race and/or some issue surrounding racism. Why? After sitting in class watching Tough Guise (again) I was reminded about how we look at race, gender, class, and sexual orientation in our country. When we think of each of those categories with think in terms of the minority identity not the majority. In other words: Black/Latino/Asian = race; gender = female; class = poor; sexual orientation = LGBT. So, why do we totally ignore the fact that white, male, str8, and wealthy = race, gender, sexual orientation, and class? Why do we also rank what should be nominal variables here as good or bad? I think Jackson Katz does an excellent job explaining how we got to this point. Our culture provides a good definition of systemic structures and dimensions of power. The next question is, “are these distributions change for the better or the worse?” I think in some cases, yes! I am surrounded by folks everyday who do not fit the stereotypical, socially constructed gender roles depicted in popular culture. Unfortunately, for the vast majority I am afraid it is getting worse. Models are getting thinner and posing in objectified and brutalized position, violence against women in film (and if real life) is more abundant than ever, and men are expected to be “tuffer” than ever. Is this what happens during war-time maybe? This is sort of my first war since I was really young during Vietnam. Is this why we are seeing these culturally defined roles magnified? I am not sure I have all the answer but maybe we can work together on them in class.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Blogging 101
I am finding myself extremely interested in blogging this semester. So, interested that I feel compelled to force students to join me (that's what we do here at WKU!) Just kidding! I plan to have my women's studies 200 class set up blogs this weekend and put in RSS subscription links! I will also follow each student's writing during the semester so if you are interested - read along!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Writing Whoas
As I was swimming today I realized that the first paper I was going to revise for publication was on my hard drive that crashed. No back-up anywhere either. That one was about a "done deal." I just needed to make some corrections to the conclusions and it was good to go.
I guess there are two ways to look at this. When I was placed on tenure track in July, I was told I would be basically starting with a clean slate. None of my publications, past awards, teaching experiences, community and university service, etc. counted toward my tenure and promotion. It is though I never existed in higher ed before. So, some karma goddess must have thought it would be appropriate for me to start this journey with no old folders, old files, past emails, or over-loaded hard drive as well. Thanks a lot!
I guess there are two ways to look at this. When I was placed on tenure track in July, I was told I would be basically starting with a clean slate. None of my publications, past awards, teaching experiences, community and university service, etc. counted toward my tenure and promotion. It is though I never existed in higher ed before. So, some karma goddess must have thought it would be appropriate for me to start this journey with no old folders, old files, past emails, or over-loaded hard drive as well. Thanks a lot!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
School begins!
Well, writing must start now. It's all about tenure now instead of enjoyment but what the hell! I still have the Greener Groundz blog that I will keep updated with thing from my Gender, Justice, and Sustainability course this semester. It's going to be an awesome class. I am reading five new books for this course so it'll be interesting. They range from Silent Spring to Omnivores Dilemma to Gaia and God. Nice mix!
I do need to vent about my first day back though. I worked all day Sunday on my syllabi, course readings, assignments, etc. I saved everything in nice little folders so that I could upload on Blackbaord and print as need on Monday morning. Monday morning I bounced in my office only to find that my hard drive had crashed overnight. It's a new computer for Gaia's sake! After a very depressing chat with WKU IT (7000 for those of your who know), they said they would come fix it but not to get my hopes up. Okay, so It's Tuesday afternoon and still no IT! I called them back and emphasized how crucial it was that I get my computer running - they moved me up the list; still no IT. I have transfered my files across campus, from computer to computer, for the last 10-12 years or so. My dissertation, master's thesis, and, well, my entire lifes work (drama here) is on that damned computer. Good thing my iTunes are on my home PC!
I am going to finish up my Jane's Travel Blog readings the hop on my steel horse (Trek bike) and ride down the road into the dust of first year students driving way to fast on campus. I plan to finish my house cleaning instead of doing penny sake night at Samurai; maybe next week.
I do need to vent about my first day back though. I worked all day Sunday on my syllabi, course readings, assignments, etc. I saved everything in nice little folders so that I could upload on Blackbaord and print as need on Monday morning. Monday morning I bounced in my office only to find that my hard drive had crashed overnight. It's a new computer for Gaia's sake! After a very depressing chat with WKU IT (7000 for those of your who know), they said they would come fix it but not to get my hopes up. Okay, so It's Tuesday afternoon and still no IT! I called them back and emphasized how crucial it was that I get my computer running - they moved me up the list; still no IT. I have transfered my files across campus, from computer to computer, for the last 10-12 years or so. My dissertation, master's thesis, and, well, my entire lifes work (drama here) is on that damned computer. Good thing my iTunes are on my home PC!
I am going to finish up my Jane's Travel Blog readings the hop on my steel horse (Trek bike) and ride down the road into the dust of first year students driving way to fast on campus. I plan to finish my house cleaning instead of doing penny sake night at Samurai; maybe next week.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
WS 499 - Directed Study in Sustainability
For the moment, this blog will be used to correspond with my WS 499: Directed Study in Sustainability course.
Note to students: We are reading Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.
Carson's book in a primer ecofeminism and ecojustice - not really sure she knew that would be the case. Carson did know that our attempt to control our world, our environment, and our ecospheres would eventually be our demise. Carson left us with a legacy wrought with questions that still loom today.
In the new millennium, ecofeminist like Vandana Shiva, Karen Warren, Starhawk, and Rosemary Radford Ruether continue to pursue these questions from very different perspectives and backgrounds.
Our blogs will take us on that journey from roughly 1960 through present. Please use outside sources and explore this topic to the best of your ability!
Note to students: We are reading Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.
Carson's book in a primer ecofeminism and ecojustice - not really sure she knew that would be the case. Carson did know that our attempt to control our world, our environment, and our ecospheres would eventually be our demise. Carson left us with a legacy wrought with questions that still loom today.
In the new millennium, ecofeminist like Vandana Shiva, Karen Warren, Starhawk, and Rosemary Radford Ruether continue to pursue these questions from very different perspectives and backgrounds.
Our blogs will take us on that journey from roughly 1960 through present. Please use outside sources and explore this topic to the best of your ability!
Friday, June 19, 2009
New ideas!
It's been a while since I have written on this particular blog/subject. I have new ideas floating around in my head 1) because I have formed a new direction for my research and 2) because I have to WRITE now that I am on tenure track :-)
While I have shifted the aim of my research idea(s), I haven't particularly lost track of the important issues involving CAFTA/DRCAFTA/NAFTA. I still believe that these "acts" have done nothing more than exploit the already down-trodden. Who have they benefited? Ah, there's one research question! The next two things that have intrigued my interest is the whole idea of how buying local impact local economy and the farmer's market as a social network & the idea of "sense of place." In conjunction with these areas, my interest has peak in the area of participatory research methods. From what I gather, participatory research methods is much like participant observation mixed with field study. My question here, of course, would be reliability - always the statistician. I might even question the validity but I think I can work through these issues. Now, how can I pull all of this together?
One thing I do plan to do is start collecting data on my maiden voyage to Belize in January, 2010. Apparently, the Belize project participants from WKU began an expenditure log of everything they purchased in Gales Point, a remote island in Belize, in past trips. I'd be interested in seeing the economic impact of WKU students and faculty spending money in the village during their two-week stay. I think since there are about 450 folks in the village, it would make a great, manageable case study for what it means to be a locavore.
In terms of professional development that will aid in my research, I plan to become a degree-seeker again! In the fall I will begin the environmental health & safety graduate certificate program at WKU as well as find a J.D. program that specializes in environmental law (particularly one that concentrates on social justice issues). I think both of these programs will make me a better scholar, plus I'll be armed and dangerous with way too much EDUCATION!
While I have shifted the aim of my research idea(s), I haven't particularly lost track of the important issues involving CAFTA/DRCAFTA/NAFTA. I still believe that these "acts" have done nothing more than exploit the already down-trodden. Who have they benefited? Ah, there's one research question! The next two things that have intrigued my interest is the whole idea of how buying local impact local economy and the farmer's market as a social network & the idea of "sense of place." In conjunction with these areas, my interest has peak in the area of participatory research methods. From what I gather, participatory research methods is much like participant observation mixed with field study. My question here, of course, would be reliability - always the statistician. I might even question the validity but I think I can work through these issues. Now, how can I pull all of this together?
One thing I do plan to do is start collecting data on my maiden voyage to Belize in January, 2010. Apparently, the Belize project participants from WKU began an expenditure log of everything they purchased in Gales Point, a remote island in Belize, in past trips. I'd be interested in seeing the economic impact of WKU students and faculty spending money in the village during their two-week stay. I think since there are about 450 folks in the village, it would make a great, manageable case study for what it means to be a locavore.
In terms of professional development that will aid in my research, I plan to become a degree-seeker again! In the fall I will begin the environmental health & safety graduate certificate program at WKU as well as find a J.D. program that specializes in environmental law (particularly one that concentrates on social justice issues). I think both of these programs will make me a better scholar, plus I'll be armed and dangerous with way too much EDUCATION!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Reflections
I joined this blog for two reasons: (1) because I wanted to explore using blog groups as a teaching tool and (2) because I wanted to start seriously thinking about the book I said I would write after I finished my dissertation. First, I really like social networking tools because they are both educational and empowering. Behind my online identity I have power! I feel confident and supported by my "net" groups - I don't feel this way face to face (f2f). F2f conversations and support are usually abrupt and ill conceived where as feedback from an online venue is thoughtful and calculated (in a good way :-)).
I think the majority of folks still see this venue as impersonal and cold. "How can you teach online when you can't have a f2f conversation?" It's hard to explain. I think they see it as time-consuming rather than an expedited process in which you can shift effortlessly when necessary then come back when you have the time and/or are emotionally equipped to express your thoughts truthfully and sincerely. I wish people would give it a shot because this is where our students live. This is the world they live in!
The upside is that I have started the thought process - I know now what this book will look like. I have started making connections, doing research, inquiring about education trips, etc. that will result in a publishable piece of work. I also have four friends who are concerned about the same things (roadblocks, time constraints, etc.) I am and we can talk about it via this blog.
The downside is the same downside I have with EVERYTHING! I always have way too many irons in the fire and I do everything about half-assed. One thing that I can say that has truly "turned a negative into a positive" from the experience is that I need to get some focus in my life - make everything connect. If doesn't connect then stop doing it!
Lesson learned...
I think the majority of folks still see this venue as impersonal and cold. "How can you teach online when you can't have a f2f conversation?" It's hard to explain. I think they see it as time-consuming rather than an expedited process in which you can shift effortlessly when necessary then come back when you have the time and/or are emotionally equipped to express your thoughts truthfully and sincerely. I wish people would give it a shot because this is where our students live. This is the world they live in!
The upside is that I have started the thought process - I know now what this book will look like. I have started making connections, doing research, inquiring about education trips, etc. that will result in a publishable piece of work. I also have four friends who are concerned about the same things (roadblocks, time constraints, etc.) I am and we can talk about it via this blog.
The downside is the same downside I have with EVERYTHING! I always have way too many irons in the fire and I do everything about half-assed. One thing that I can say that has truly "turned a negative into a positive" from the experience is that I need to get some focus in my life - make everything connect. If doesn't connect then stop doing it!
Lesson learned...
Networking
I joined a group called The Global Education Collaborative today...hmmm. It is a social networking site (like Twitter, Diigo, Zotero, etc) geared toward education interested in global education. It looks way cool! I think the group can help me connect with information I am interested in for the book. What a cool world it is out there on the Net!
Friday, December 5, 2008
So, we will continue...
It looks like we will continue our writing club blogging during a portion of our winter break. I am excited about that!
I really like this forum and have been thinking of ways to tie this in with my classes next spring. I am also looking at ways of connecting Internet based social networking (Diigo, Twitter, Zotera, etc.) with the blogging environment so that bookmarks of scholarly work, tag clouds, RSS feeds, personal reflection and critical position analysis, and so on can be connected to assist groups of folks with their writing and research. While much of my online behavior has been recreational/personal the last few months, I have learned a great deal and I believe the knowledge gained can be channeled into a scholarly activity. I won't give up the recreational use but I think merging the two could be very beneficial.
Thanks to Sally for leading us through this experiment!
I really like this forum and have been thinking of ways to tie this in with my classes next spring. I am also looking at ways of connecting Internet based social networking (Diigo, Twitter, Zotera, etc.) with the blogging environment so that bookmarks of scholarly work, tag clouds, RSS feeds, personal reflection and critical position analysis, and so on can be connected to assist groups of folks with their writing and research. While much of my online behavior has been recreational/personal the last few months, I have learned a great deal and I believe the knowledge gained can be channeled into a scholarly activity. I won't give up the recreational use but I think merging the two could be very beneficial.
Thanks to Sally for leading us through this experiment!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday before Thanksgiving
I haven't written anything for a few days...well, I thought I hadn't anyway. Then it occurred to me that the response I made on the WKU-voice about NAFTA was actually narrative about my idea for the introduction to my book! So, YAY, I did write something and I was thinking about my topic:
NAFTA (and CAFTA) were both popular among corporate business but laborers and many others were, and still are, in opposition. The basic purpose of NAFTA was to create combined trilateral purchase/trade group among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico that would reinforce each entities GDP. Of course, many folks opposed the move for the same reasons they opposed CAFTA and the efforts of the current administration to form a free trade agreement with Columbia, Panama, and South Korea. They see both the adverse impact of moving jobs to countries where wages are low and the environmental impact of relocating factories where EPA/FDA regulations are virtually non-existent. In other words, "free" trade isn't necessarily fair, safe, or healthy trade. Some of our "free" trade agreements have been suspect of violating even very basic human rights. My guess is that we will never dissolve NAFTA or CAFTA and that many of the "free" trade agreements that have been proposed recently will be signed and passed with very little effort because corporations are far more powerful that special interest groups - despite what some people say.
The downfall to withdrawing from NAFTA is two-fold. If we move our industries back the the U. S. and abandon these countries, they are left with no source of income; hence, the global economy is weakened even future. Even if we are ripping people off, it is income that they wouldn't have otherwise (yes, harsh but true). The other problem is that U. S. prices are set based on wages payed to textile workers in other countries not here in the U. S. The luxury of purchasing a $5 t-shirt at Walmart that was made in Indonesia would cease to exist. With our economy going down the toilet, we would not be able to continue the current lifestyle most of us have set for ourselves. For example, Americans drink Folgers coffee at $3.00+/- a pound because corporate coffee importers pay farmers substandard wages for their coffee. At fair-trade prices, coffee is more like $12-$14/lb after importing, packaging, and roasting. While some of us don't mind to pay that for good fair-trade/organic coffee, most will not and/or cannot. Can we afford what it would cost to pay American workers to produce all of our goods and abide by EPA and FDA regulations? Probably not. I think that's a sad reality. We have the resources we need to provide for ourselves but it is more cost affective to send our raw materials to other countries, have them manufacture/produce the finished product, then import it back to the U.S. I do believe, however, we can make a gradually shift back to free enterprise here in the U.S. but it can't happen over night without collapsing the global economy. The small business owners, local farmers, etc. really are the backbone of our future. We cannot last forever at our current status by simply importing everything we use and relying on big business for economic stability - look where it got us this year.
Oh, BTW, buy local, eat local, live local :-)
NAFTA (and CAFTA) were both popular among corporate business but laborers and many others were, and still are, in opposition. The basic purpose of NAFTA was to create combined trilateral purchase/trade group among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico that would reinforce each entities GDP. Of course, many folks opposed the move for the same reasons they opposed CAFTA and the efforts of the current administration to form a free trade agreement with Columbia, Panama, and South Korea. They see both the adverse impact of moving jobs to countries where wages are low and the environmental impact of relocating factories where EPA/FDA regulations are virtually non-existent. In other words, "free" trade isn't necessarily fair, safe, or healthy trade. Some of our "free" trade agreements have been suspect of violating even very basic human rights. My guess is that we will never dissolve NAFTA or CAFTA and that many of the "free" trade agreements that have been proposed recently will be signed and passed with very little effort because corporations are far more powerful that special interest groups - despite what some people say.
The downfall to withdrawing from NAFTA is two-fold. If we move our industries back the the U. S. and abandon these countries, they are left with no source of income; hence, the global economy is weakened even future. Even if we are ripping people off, it is income that they wouldn't have otherwise (yes, harsh but true). The other problem is that U. S. prices are set based on wages payed to textile workers in other countries not here in the U. S. The luxury of purchasing a $5 t-shirt at Walmart that was made in Indonesia would cease to exist. With our economy going down the toilet, we would not be able to continue the current lifestyle most of us have set for ourselves. For example, Americans drink Folgers coffee at $3.00+/- a pound because corporate coffee importers pay farmers substandard wages for their coffee. At fair-trade prices, coffee is more like $12-$14/lb after importing, packaging, and roasting. While some of us don't mind to pay that for good fair-trade/organic coffee, most will not and/or cannot. Can we afford what it would cost to pay American workers to produce all of our goods and abide by EPA and FDA regulations? Probably not. I think that's a sad reality. We have the resources we need to provide for ourselves but it is more cost affective to send our raw materials to other countries, have them manufacture/produce the finished product, then import it back to the U.S. I do believe, however, we can make a gradually shift back to free enterprise here in the U.S. but it can't happen over night without collapsing the global economy. The small business owners, local farmers, etc. really are the backbone of our future. We cannot last forever at our current status by simply importing everything we use and relying on big business for economic stability - look where it got us this year.
Oh, BTW, buy local, eat local, live local :-)
Monday, November 17, 2008
Just one more thing for the day...
I was looking though the Wheatmark submission materials and decided that I am really selling myself short. So, I went to Rutgers, University of California, and Oxford press websites and looked at their submission guidelines! They publish in my area and they are respectable!
A new day; A new week!
I am going to take Sally's advice and try to focus on the positive this week :-). Getting started is always hard, but once you get a feel for what you want to do, things seem to fall into place pretty well. It's not like this is the first thing I have ever written for god's sake.
I decided this morning, after getting an email for my dean, that presenting my topic and research (though it's not complete, well, or started yet) might be a good place to begin. I am sitting here preparing a conference proposal for SEWSA (The Southeast Women's Studies Association). The focus of SEWSA's conference this year is gender and sustainability - WOW, right down my alley! So, I have outlined the presentation to include a brief history of CAFTA, the affects of CAFTA on Central American Coffee Farmer's, our (Greener Groundz Coffee Roasters) connection with Gun Sanpaul, our coffee importer who was in the peace corp in Central American working with coffee farmer's, and our quest to create a small, female-owned business using 100% fair trade/organic coffees that support social justice in Central America. Well, it dawned on me that I was yet one step closer to an outline and focus for this book. That's exactly the format I would like to use!
So, there you have it! I think this is a great start to the week. I am gathering my resources to write both the proposal for the conference and the intro to my book.
I also signed up for a publisher search that gives you the names of publishers who would most closely match your needs and mostly likely publish your finished product. They give you a realistic review of what you can expect given your topic and your experience - sounds fair enough, huh? They paired me up with 4 publishers I have never heard of any of them but I researched the companies and found that Wheatmark seemed the most suited for me. So, I downloaded their publishing information packet! Away we go....!
I decided this morning, after getting an email for my dean, that presenting my topic and research (though it's not complete, well, or started yet) might be a good place to begin. I am sitting here preparing a conference proposal for SEWSA (The Southeast Women's Studies Association). The focus of SEWSA's conference this year is gender and sustainability - WOW, right down my alley! So, I have outlined the presentation to include a brief history of CAFTA, the affects of CAFTA on Central American Coffee Farmer's, our (Greener Groundz Coffee Roasters) connection with Gun Sanpaul, our coffee importer who was in the peace corp in Central American working with coffee farmer's, and our quest to create a small, female-owned business using 100% fair trade/organic coffees that support social justice in Central America. Well, it dawned on me that I was yet one step closer to an outline and focus for this book. That's exactly the format I would like to use!
So, there you have it! I think this is a great start to the week. I am gathering my resources to write both the proposal for the conference and the intro to my book.
I also signed up for a publisher search that gives you the names of publishers who would most closely match your needs and mostly likely publish your finished product. They give you a realistic review of what you can expect given your topic and your experience - sounds fair enough, huh? They paired me up with 4 publishers I have never heard of any of them but I researched the companies and found that Wheatmark seemed the most suited for me. So, I downloaded their publishing information packet! Away we go....!
Friday, November 14, 2008
It's Friday!
My hope is to have a little time to at least look at publishers and get an rough outline together today. As usual, I have a calendar packed back to back! I am going to take Sally's advice and spend a minute scheduling in some writing time. If I don't do that, this book is never going to happen!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Yesterday :-(
As usual, I did not get time to doing anything in terms of writing yesterday. I found myself rushing to grade, sign admission forms for grad studies, prepare a quiz, print my fliers for study abroad....all before I had to spend the afternoon running folks to doctor appointments. The evening was spent roasting coffee and practicing with a band for Saturday's Greener Groundz Acoustic Coffee Break at Bread & Bagels. I didn't get home until a little after 9pm and I was pooped! So, again, the book hit the back burner. I decided to let everything go this morning and look over comments from other's in the group - both to me and what folks said to each other. Sally advised that after I get an outline I should look at forms on publisher's website for submission criteria - good idea! I also felt better when I read Jane's comment to Sally about the amount of work that can actually be accomplished using those small chunks of time we have during the day/evening/wee hours :-)
I want this to be an exercise that inspires me; not one that discourages me. Know what I'm saying?
I want this to be an exercise that inspires me; not one that discourages me. Know what I'm saying?
Monday, November 10, 2008
The beginning...
Since I have completed my dissertation, I feel that I am ready to tackle writing my first book; however, I have no clue where or how to begin this process. I assume my first goal will be to clearly define my topic. I am interested in the social, economic, political, and environmental affects of CAFTA on coffee farmers in Central America. I would assume that drafting an outline might be a logical place to start? While I am extremely busy, I am convinced that if I put this on the back burner, that is where it will stay. I think it might actually be a refuge for my sanity in the days to come.
So, my first week's goal will be to take the afternoons on Monday (today), Wednesday, and Friday to begin the foundation of what will surely be one of Oprah's book club favorites!
So, my first week's goal will be to take the afternoons on Monday (today), Wednesday, and Friday to begin the foundation of what will surely be one of Oprah's book club favorites!
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