Unit Three Reflection
As the semester draws to a close I take time to remember the things that I have learned in my writing 205 class. I think that overall the class has taught me a lot about myself as a writer. I feel that I have also learned a lot about consumerism, consumption and waste as well.
The quote that was given at the beginning of the reflection prompt really makes sense in the context of this class. The “text of pleasure” for me in this class would definitely have to be ads that we watched at the beginning of the semester. Although they are not the normal things that you would call text, I think that they really helped to make the course more interesting, by evoking emotions from the classes and helping to make us think about the ads that we all see on a day-to-day basis. They also help to affirm my beliefs on how ads work to get consumers to buy the product that they are trying to sell. They try to make us believe that we will somehow be cooler, sexier, or even better looking if we buy their product. Take the ad that we saw for a Mac computer. The person in the ad that represented the Mac looked cooler and younger; where the person that was supposed to represent the PC looked dorky and out of date.
I think that the “text of bliss” for our writing 205 class would have to be the book, Affluenza, by Graaf, Wann, and Naylor. This book challenged my beliefs about certain issues regarding consumerism, consumption and waste immensely. Before reading this book I had brushed these issues off my shoulders and had tried to pretend that they were really not a big deal at all. After reading the book I was faced with the grim reality that theses three issues were affecting my life and the lives of many other Americans every day. Americans are going into debt; they are more stressed than ever before and are spending way more than they ever have in the past and ever should. We are trying to be better and have “better” things than everyone else. This over consumption is being passed down to younger generations and they are becoming consumers and being targeted by mass media at younger and younger ages.
When it comes to my research project I feel that I have learned a lot about the pros and cons of Big Businesses and Small Businesses. Through the research of myself and the rest of my group I have drawn the conclusion that Small locally owned businesses are a really good thing. These Small Businesses help the economy of areas like Westcott Street greatly. They bring revenue into the community and they offer a job opportunity to local people that might not be able to find a job otherwise. The small businesses, like the restaurants on Westcott Street can serve as social gathering places for members of the community. While my group visited Westcott Street I was refreshed to find out that people were allowed to sit and talk in front of the local businesses even if they hadn’t purchased anything from the store. The Westcott Street area is also a hub of local culture. One thing that I learned about while I was doing my research is the Westcott community fair that goes on every year. It celebrates the different cultures that live in the Westcott area. The people that put this on are trying to show people that don’t live in the Westcott area how great it is and try to attract people to come check it out. They really caught my eye and I definitely plan on checking out the community fair next year.
No texts were really instrumental in leading me to a better understanding about the Westcott verses Erie Street topic that I was given. I think the thing that really led me to my conclusion was being able to get out into the community and doing the research on my own. I have never been asked to do that type of research in other classes and I feel that this was the best part of the class because it made me do something that I was scared to do. I normally don’t like to talk to people because I’m shy, but this class made me get out into the real world and do our own research in order to get to the bottom of our topics.
Monday, April 28, 2008
A business that employs less than 500 people is considered a small business. Theses small businesses help to create numerous jobs for our country (How Small Businesses Affect Our Economy). Small Businesses seem to have contributed greatly to the success of our nations economy. Sometimes it is hard for these small businesses to survive when new Big Business chains come into the community that they are in. Although, in the case of the Westcott street area the business have thrived even thought the competition has come into the area around Erie Street.
Costa, the owner of the Dorian’s Pizza Gourmet Pizza and Deli on Westcott Street, has been in the business for a long time and has managed to survive even though the new Businesses have come into the area. Costa came to the United States from Greece a number of years ago. He came over from Greece because he didn’t want to work in the factories in Greece any longer. Costa felt that although he could make enough money to support himself buy working in the factories in Greece, but he didn’t think that he would be happy working in the factories, so he left to try to make a better life for himself in the United States. He decided to open a pizza place because it was something that he loved to do and he thought that he could make a good amount of money doing it. He was able to buy his shop at a low rate, so in the long run that has really helped him out because he doesn’t have all of those big loans like other business owners sometimes have. He says that he isn’t having the same volume of consumers visiting his pizza store since the new businesses have come into the area, but the quality of the consumers is extremely better. The consumers that are coming into his store now are loyal; he mentioned that he has some regular consumers that come to his store on a regular basis. In his mind, this is a good thing; he would rather have people coming into his store and spending money that he new, trusted, and had the same trust for him. He says that in order to have a small business and have it stay alive for a long time you really need to have your heart in it. He goes on to say that you can’t be after riches. In order to make your small business stay alive you need to be ok with just getting by. Costa makes enough to support his wife and children, but he does live an extravagant life. The fact that big businesses have come into the area is not the only thing that has effected his profits. Since he opened his business the cost of making the product and the cost of living has also increased, which has lowered his profits. This has also caused his business, as well as other small businesses on Westcott Street, like Alto Cinco, to have slightly higher prices than big business chains like Taco Bell. Although the small businesses sometimes have higher prices, there product seems to be a lot bigger and better.
The small businesses on Westcott Street also help out the economy of the local community in other ways. One of the major ways that they give back is by paying taxes. By having a business in the Westcott Street area, the storeowners are paying taxes to the government and those taxes that they pay go to supporting and developing the community around them (Colenso). Costa says that most of his employees come from around the Westcott Street Area. One of his employees said that she has lived in the Westcott Street community all of her life and wouldn’t want to live or work anyplace else. Hiring local people helps the economy of the community around the business because the money will stay local and go to making the community a better place. This will also help the business because the local people that are working in their shops will probably buy locally as well. Also, people in the community are more likely to shop at a store or restaurant that is closer to the place that they live. Consumers also seem to what to spend their money at a place that has a more personal feel. This feel is something that big business can’t really provided for the consumer, but it is something that small businesses have (The Wal-Mart Era-Not All Bad for Small Businesses). Costa mentioned that he knows a lot of his customers by name, that is something that is not possible with a store like Wal-Mart were thousands of people come into the store every year. It seems without the support of the community around them theses small businesses would not be able to make it. Costa, as well as the other small business owners and employees that we talked to on Westcott street fell that they have the community behind them.
A big business coming into the area that a small business is in is not always a bad thing. Sometimes a big Business coming into the area really helps the small business out. The new competition from the big business can sometimes make the small business try to be better and run a better business so that they can keep up with the new big business chain that has come into the area. Some big businesses, like Wal-Mart even help the small businesses try to survive. When Wal-Mart comes into the area, they show small businesses how to survive when a new Wal-Mart comes into the area. They will sometimes go as far as to help the small business financially, by giving them grants to help them stay afloat financially (The Wal-Mart Era-Not All Bad for Small Businesses). Researches have shown that even though these big businesses, like Wal-Mart, come into the area, they will have no real long-term effect on the United States economy. It seems that when these big businesses come into the area and a small business has to leave because of them it is not long before another small business comes into the area to take its place and manages to somehow strive financially (The Wal-Mart Era-Not All Bad for Small Businesses).
New York State is working to keep local businesses alive and running smoothly. When Governor David Paterson came to talk to local businesses in Syracuse on April 22, he talked about some of his plans about boosting the local economy and local businesses. He says that one of the major economic problems that is going on right now, in Syracuse, as well as the rest of the state is that people and business are leaving the state to find work elsewhere (Tampone). He plans on trying to fix this during his time in office and want to make the entire state of New York more friendly to local business and local people. He has proposed a 700 million dollar Upstate Revitalization Fund, which will help fund various economic-development projects in upstate New York (Tampone). He also mentioned that one of the major economic problems in Syracuse right now is interstate 81. Right now it is separating downtown Syracuse from Syracuse University. He as well as many other people feels that this is a major blockade that stops further economic development in the city of Syracuse (Tampone).
Works Cited
Colenso, Maria. "How Stuff Works "Big Business Versus Mom and Pop." How Stuff Works. 27 Apr. 2008.
"How Small Businesses Affect Our Economy." Money Matters. 27 Apr. 2008.
Tampone, Kevin. "Paterson: Spending Habits Put Albany on ‘Another Planet’." THe Central New York Business. 27 Apr. 2008.
"The Wal-Mart Era-Not All Bad for Small Businesses." The Wall Street Journal 02 Oct. 2007. 20 Apr. 2008.
Costa, the owner of the Dorian’s Pizza Gourmet Pizza and Deli on Westcott Street, has been in the business for a long time and has managed to survive even though the new Businesses have come into the area. Costa came to the United States from Greece a number of years ago. He came over from Greece because he didn’t want to work in the factories in Greece any longer. Costa felt that although he could make enough money to support himself buy working in the factories in Greece, but he didn’t think that he would be happy working in the factories, so he left to try to make a better life for himself in the United States. He decided to open a pizza place because it was something that he loved to do and he thought that he could make a good amount of money doing it. He was able to buy his shop at a low rate, so in the long run that has really helped him out because he doesn’t have all of those big loans like other business owners sometimes have. He says that he isn’t having the same volume of consumers visiting his pizza store since the new businesses have come into the area, but the quality of the consumers is extremely better. The consumers that are coming into his store now are loyal; he mentioned that he has some regular consumers that come to his store on a regular basis. In his mind, this is a good thing; he would rather have people coming into his store and spending money that he new, trusted, and had the same trust for him. He says that in order to have a small business and have it stay alive for a long time you really need to have your heart in it. He goes on to say that you can’t be after riches. In order to make your small business stay alive you need to be ok with just getting by. Costa makes enough to support his wife and children, but he does live an extravagant life. The fact that big businesses have come into the area is not the only thing that has effected his profits. Since he opened his business the cost of making the product and the cost of living has also increased, which has lowered his profits. This has also caused his business, as well as other small businesses on Westcott Street, like Alto Cinco, to have slightly higher prices than big business chains like Taco Bell. Although the small businesses sometimes have higher prices, there product seems to be a lot bigger and better.
The small businesses on Westcott Street also help out the economy of the local community in other ways. One of the major ways that they give back is by paying taxes. By having a business in the Westcott Street area, the storeowners are paying taxes to the government and those taxes that they pay go to supporting and developing the community around them (Colenso). Costa says that most of his employees come from around the Westcott Street Area. One of his employees said that she has lived in the Westcott Street community all of her life and wouldn’t want to live or work anyplace else. Hiring local people helps the economy of the community around the business because the money will stay local and go to making the community a better place. This will also help the business because the local people that are working in their shops will probably buy locally as well. Also, people in the community are more likely to shop at a store or restaurant that is closer to the place that they live. Consumers also seem to what to spend their money at a place that has a more personal feel. This feel is something that big business can’t really provided for the consumer, but it is something that small businesses have (The Wal-Mart Era-Not All Bad for Small Businesses). Costa mentioned that he knows a lot of his customers by name, that is something that is not possible with a store like Wal-Mart were thousands of people come into the store every year. It seems without the support of the community around them theses small businesses would not be able to make it. Costa, as well as the other small business owners and employees that we talked to on Westcott street fell that they have the community behind them.
A big business coming into the area that a small business is in is not always a bad thing. Sometimes a big Business coming into the area really helps the small business out. The new competition from the big business can sometimes make the small business try to be better and run a better business so that they can keep up with the new big business chain that has come into the area. Some big businesses, like Wal-Mart even help the small businesses try to survive. When Wal-Mart comes into the area, they show small businesses how to survive when a new Wal-Mart comes into the area. They will sometimes go as far as to help the small business financially, by giving them grants to help them stay afloat financially (The Wal-Mart Era-Not All Bad for Small Businesses). Researches have shown that even though these big businesses, like Wal-Mart, come into the area, they will have no real long-term effect on the United States economy. It seems that when these big businesses come into the area and a small business has to leave because of them it is not long before another small business comes into the area to take its place and manages to somehow strive financially (The Wal-Mart Era-Not All Bad for Small Businesses).
New York State is working to keep local businesses alive and running smoothly. When Governor David Paterson came to talk to local businesses in Syracuse on April 22, he talked about some of his plans about boosting the local economy and local businesses. He says that one of the major economic problems that is going on right now, in Syracuse, as well as the rest of the state is that people and business are leaving the state to find work elsewhere (Tampone). He plans on trying to fix this during his time in office and want to make the entire state of New York more friendly to local business and local people. He has proposed a 700 million dollar Upstate Revitalization Fund, which will help fund various economic-development projects in upstate New York (Tampone). He also mentioned that one of the major economic problems in Syracuse right now is interstate 81. Right now it is separating downtown Syracuse from Syracuse University. He as well as many other people feels that this is a major blockade that stops further economic development in the city of Syracuse (Tampone).
Works Cited
Colenso, Maria. "How Stuff Works "Big Business Versus Mom and Pop." How Stuff Works. 27 Apr. 2008
"How Small Businesses Affect Our Economy." Money Matters. 27 Apr. 2008
Tampone, Kevin. "Paterson: Spending Habits Put Albany on ‘Another Planet’." THe Central New York Business. 27 Apr. 2008
"The Wal-Mart Era-Not All Bad for Small Businesses." The Wall Street Journal 02 Oct. 2007. 20 Apr. 2008.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
"The Wal-Mart Era-Not All Bad for Small Businesses." The Wall Street Journal 02 Oct. 2007. 20 Apr. 2008 .
This newspaper article talks about how Wal-Mart has affected small businesses. The beginning of the article talks about the protests that usually take place whenever a new Wal-Mart opens up in a neighborhood. People are usually out in the New Wal-Mart store’s parking lot with big signs that say “Not in My Neighborhood”. Then it states that new Wal-Marts opening up may not be a bad thing for the community that surrounds them at all. It mentions the fact that Wal-Mart tries to teach small businesses ways to survive after Wal-Mart has come into there community. Wal-Mart is even offering these Businesses grants in order to try to help them keep afloat. It goes on to say small business have one thing that Wal-Mart doesn’t have, that’s the personal feel that small businesses have. The writer also mentions that a study has shown that Wal-Mart won’t have any real effect on the U.S.’s long-term economy. It seems that even when a small Business is put out of business by Wal-Mart another small business pops up soon after to take its place. Wal-Mart also helps out in other ways. Wal-Mart has paved the way for about 10,000 new suppliers to sell to their company and get in on their business each year. Wal-Mart has also caused mom and pop stores to step up their game in order to compete with all of the Wal-Marts that keep popping up.
This newspaper article talks about how Wal-Mart has affected small businesses. The beginning of the article talks about the protests that usually take place whenever a new Wal-Mart opens up in a neighborhood. People are usually out in the New Wal-Mart store’s parking lot with big signs that say “Not in My Neighborhood”. Then it states that new Wal-Marts opening up may not be a bad thing for the community that surrounds them at all. It mentions the fact that Wal-Mart tries to teach small businesses ways to survive after Wal-Mart has come into there community. Wal-Mart is even offering these Businesses grants in order to try to help them keep afloat. It goes on to say small business have one thing that Wal-Mart doesn’t have, that’s the personal feel that small businesses have. The writer also mentions that a study has shown that Wal-Mart won’t have any real effect on the U.S.’s long-term economy. It seems that even when a small Business is put out of business by Wal-Mart another small business pops up soon after to take its place. Wal-Mart also helps out in other ways. Wal-Mart has paved the way for about 10,000 new suppliers to sell to their company and get in on their business each year. Wal-Mart has also caused mom and pop stores to step up their game in order to compete with all of the Wal-Marts that keep popping up.
Friday, April 11, 2008
For my specific topic I will focus on the effect of big business on the economy of the community around it. I will see if the jobs that the big businesses calms that they brought into the community around Erie really made a difference. I will look at the jobs that were lost because the small businesses had to closes because of the big businesses. Did they cancel each other out or was there a gain in the number of jobs in the community or a loss in the number of jobs? Also, how do the communities around Erie and Westcott look? Are they run down or are they bustling centers of the city of Syracuse. I also want to look into who shops in theses places. Are they local people from the neighborhood around the stores or are they people that came to shop in Syracuse because of the variety of stores that are here. I think it might also be cool to see if people from Canada come to Westcott or eerie on a regular basis because the Canadian dollar is so high right now. I would like to look at the area around Westcott before and after the big businesses started coming into Erie. Have stores had to close because of the new chain businesses
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The video that I watched on you tube called “small town, big business” talked about a small town in Canada that was benefiting greatly from big businesses coming into their town. The video shows that when small towns get big businesses to come in it is a good thing because it is getting more jobs in the area. Also, with the “big box” stores coming in people are coming into small towns that may be centrally located to get the things that they need. Also, residents of the small towns don’t have to leave their town to shop. They can now stay in their town to shop and that means that the money that they spend will stay in the area. I also looked at a cartoon that supports this view it shows a picture with a man that has big businesses on one and small businesses on another. It shows that the big business has a lot of money and is well kept. Big businesses also appear to be higher up then small business. Small business is also much dirtier than big business. The thing that I found most interesting is the fact that although big businesses is nicely dressed and seems cool, it has a pair of devil horns and is made to look evil. I think that what the person that made the cartoon is trying to say is that he feels that big businesses are a necessary evil because in the end they are helping the economy.
HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=5EJS1BPSXEC
HTTP://WWW.MESAAZCORRUPTIONREPORT.COM/IMAGES/MAC_CARTOONFULL.GIF
Thursday, April 3, 2008
It the article Big Business Versus Mom-and-Pop, the author talks about the advantages and disadvantages of buying your food from locally owned companies and buying from Big businesses like Wal-Mart. They mention how recently the organic food market has changed from being a home grown movement to something that even Big Businesses are taking part in. This has some local organic farmers worried that they will be losing business because companies are now able to import organic food for a lot less money than it would cost to buy the same food from the local farmers.
The article mentions that instead of buying food from the big retail chains, like Wal-Mart, consumers should consider buying food at local food co-ops. The author feel that this is a good idea because by buying food at the co-ops you are giving back to your community because the co-ops will hire more local people and are also giving back to the community through taxes. Another advantage to buying your food at a locally owned co-op is that you can get your food at a cheaper rate. This is because co-ops are given discounts for buying in bulk and these discounts are passed down to the people that buy their products. Also, unlike big business where you don’t have much of a say in how the company is run and what products are offered, when you belong to a co-op you actually have a say and a voice in how things are run and operated.
Others say that buying from these co-ops isn’t such a good idea because it is taking money away from developing countries that are being paid by big businesses, like Wal-Mart, to produce their food.
Here is a link to the article that I researched:
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/local-or-organic3.htm
The article mentions that instead of buying food from the big retail chains, like Wal-Mart, consumers should consider buying food at local food co-ops. The author feel that this is a good idea because by buying food at the co-ops you are giving back to your community because the co-ops will hire more local people and are also giving back to the community through taxes. Another advantage to buying your food at a locally owned co-op is that you can get your food at a cheaper rate. This is because co-ops are given discounts for buying in bulk and these discounts are passed down to the people that buy their products. Also, unlike big business where you don’t have much of a say in how the company is run and what products are offered, when you belong to a co-op you actually have a say and a voice in how things are run and operated.
Others say that buying from these co-ops isn’t such a good idea because it is taking money away from developing countries that are being paid by big businesses, like Wal-Mart, to produce their food.
Here is a link to the article that I researched:
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/local-or-organic3.htm
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