Role-Play Debate for course EngC 1015

My family was one of those that sat down together for every meal together. Usually it was at least 4-5 times per week. The only way for the US to keep up with the lower wages is by innovation. Our people have to be the first to make things, that way we can keep the value of our invented goods high. We will never be able to keep up with them at the lower wages, but we should be able to dominate the world markets again through innovation.

I think that this is a great example of globalization. It show exactly how the world has changed over the years, and especially just over the past 40-50 years. Families today spend less and less time together, particularly as kids get older. It seems that these family values and ideals are almost totally absent from families today. Modern society sure doesn't promote any of these values either. MTV and South Park are now the sources of interest and knowledge for an increasing number of children. Relaxing and spending the day just enjoying nice weather have become almost extinct because in the era of globalization, the one who works less gets left in the dust. Globalizaion has greatly increased the work and production of companies and this has inpacted each and every worker. Less time is spent on things which don't earn money or help the modern movement. Therefore, the average man must work harder and longer just to keep up with the speed of the world and earn a respectable living. Finally, sit down dinners are a idea of the past and fast food is unfortunatly the answer. No more family bonding or throwing the baseball with dad, instead we will turn to MTV and South Park.

I agree that because of globalization the world is a very different place and that many families do not spend much quality time together. However, my family ate dinner together on most nights, and it wasn't exactly the highlight of my day.

Although globalization may be partly to blame, there is still a person, especially the parents, personal responsibility. People have to know their priorities-work longer hours or help my child with he/her homework. You can't make globalization the scapegoat when it comes to peoples' decision to work longer hours.

Like Vanessa commented, globalization is partly to blame for the lack of quality family time today. However, throughout high school I knew several families that would set aside a specific time throughout the week where they would spend time together and do different activities, such as a bible reading. Globalization isn't necessarily the reason for the lack of "family time." It is the fault of every member of a family not setting their priorities straight. Yes, sometimes people need to stay and work overtime to get things done, but one of my best friend's family ate dinner together every night, had bible readings a couple nights a week, and all of them had a job. The mother worked full time, the father was an accountant, and the son worked with a construction company. So the overall point I'm trying to get across is that "life is what you make of it."

I agree with David on the issue that globalization has hit the fast forward button and families are having a difficult time keeping up with both the traditional family values and societal values. As society moves away from the family unit and success for the family it moves towards the success of their country’s economy and securing their place in its success. While people used to try to make a life for themselves, it seems that we have moved towards holding onto the life that was given to us. Education used to be strong tool in succeeding in the world, but now that it is required and grades are being inflated to mock success, the novelty wore off. Now that more and more people receive a higher education, it has become an important thing for everyone to get so they can try to hold onto their life and perhaps start a family. Even education is driving people into the dumps of a bottomless debt. My point being, society is digging a hole for itself while it is expanding and developing at an exponential rate. As individuals and families try to keep up with the race that life forces them into them, more and more will lose and fall back.

Sorry to be so depressing. I also have a very close family that has lived abroad together and goes on frequent wilderness trips. With two very busy parents and a brother that is gone a lot, I think it is very unfortunate that individuals are having to struggle to hold on to their strongest support group in life—their family.

I agree with Vanessa. It is whatever people choose to do on a personal level, yes peer pressure and the want of money has the ultimate effect but, gee golly Beave, at least in my family and with my friends, there's never been a real get together with family and have a good ol' chat in the den or whatever. I think it's all just proportionate to what it was. Relative to the population and the social increase there has been lately, people are acting surprisingly similar as to what they were before globalization went into overdrive. Again, this is purely environmental/cultural and I'm sure your perspectives are significantly different so this is just how we are perceiving society change as a whole and perhaps, since globalization can be seen as everything, (the heart of globalization is economic), that it's more based on a liberalistic notion of what culture and tradition is and a longing need for change that makes us utilize our own individual happiness.

To comment on "life is what you make of it," a lot of people don't have control over that. I have been lucky to have a family that has more control of time but I know many parents that work two jobs just to get by. A good friend of mine has a father thats an engineer and he got a job at Fleet Farm to pay for his daughter's college, which gone up 50% in the last four years. A lot of kids are getting jobs now at 14 or 15 years old. They go from school straight to work. The cost of living is going up way faster than wages and people don't have control of time like they use to.

Costs of living only have an effect on people with non-sticky wages, which, in the US, are only illegal immigrants. RExpectations states that wages coop with inflation so cost of living will be relative to the real cost of living which is steadily on the fall in over 2/3 of the US.

I'm not sure that I agree with the idea that globalization is the cause for an increased workload or longer hours. At least not in the sense that we need to work harder to compete at our jobs. The basic problem with the American way of life is we see what we want, we figure out what will be necessary to acquire it and then we do so. And then we find something else to want. This can happen at such an alarming rate due to the wonders of globalization. I mean, my love of technology would be completely different if it weren't for foreign companies like Virgin or Sony or LG, both of which make fairly pricey consumer products. Thusly, I must work harder to earn money to buy my cell-phone that is slightly cooler than the cheap American version.

Or you could look at this the other way. A family comes home and sees their dad sitting at the kitchen table. They incquire, "Dad did you have off work today?"

No, his job got outsourced. Someone on the other side of the world can do it for less. Many jobs have been outsourced and it has hit some families hard. With loosing an income for the family, and the inflation, the dad has to get right back on the horse and back to work. This is also a big family ruiner, any thoughts?

Outsourcing can be detrimental to invidivduals. My wage was decreased because of increased manufacturing overseas. More people in China can complete working mechanisms for drivetrains making a part of my job more obsolete because they charge less (they do a crappy job, but that's beside the point). However, free trade does not mean that jobs will be lost, they will just be shifted. Resources will shift to more productive sectors resulting in growth in certain industries whereas other industries may decrease. It is highly predicted (that thirty years from now) after opening trade, there will be an overall increase in employment, not just worldwide, but on smaller, more regional levels as well (time is needed for the markets to situate themselves properly and people are unwilling to let that happen, that’s why they think markets will fail). It's already statistically proven that there is a net increase in jobs so the general welfare is being benefited, and either way we roll, invdividuals are going to be hurt.

I do agree with many of these points; however, I must say that many families DO sit down and have dinner together many times a week -- my family included, we'd would have family dinner 4-5 times a week, that is, at least when I lived at home. Sometimes we even had family game night -- but only if I could get everyone to agree to it, and that would usually be a struggle.