Vibrant infographic from #floodthesystem movement on the connection between climate change and prisons.
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Inequality for all
3 JunThe documentary “Inequality for all” by economist Robert Reich discusses class stratification and solutions.
Bill Moyers interviews Reich about his film in 60 minutes that might be more fitting for a classroom viewing.
Where the poor and rich really spend their money
15 AprLawmakers in several states are urging limits on how welfare recipients use public benefits, suggesting that the poor are buying things like lobster, filet mignon, vacations aboard cruise ships and visits to psychics. It’s an open question whether the problem these proposals aim to solve actually exists, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics just helpfully released new data on how the poor — and the rich — spend their money.
Welfare testing
9 AugHere’s What Happened When Tennessee Decided to Drug Test Its Welfare Recipients
This article mentions Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida’s use of drug testing welfare recipients. Florida’s program was eliminated as a violation of the fourth amendment http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/court-upholds-injunction-on-drug-testing-florida-welfare-recipients/1276670.
Food gentrification?
21 AprThis article about “collards becoming the new kale” provokes thought about cultural appropriation.
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/foodgentrification-and-culinary-rebranding-of-traditional-foods
More importantly, it raises concern over the international effects of food trends.
http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2110890,00.html
American Winter, families struggling through the recession
19 Marhttp://www.americanwinterfilm.com/synopsis
Produced and directed by Emmy award-winning filmmakers, Joe and Harry Gantz, American Winter is a documentary feature film that follows the personal stories of families struggling in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Years after the recession began, millions of families are struggling to meet their basic needs, and many formerly middle class families are finding themselves in financial crisis, and needing assistance for the first time in their lives. Meanwhile, the social safety net that was created to help people in difficult times has been weakened by massive budget cuts, creating a perfect storm of greater need and fewer resources to help families in trouble.
Filmed over the course of one winter in Portland, Oregon, American Winter presents an intimate and emotionally evocative snapshot of the state of our economy as it is playing out in many American families.
Working together with the nonprofit organization 211info in Portland, the filmmakers were given full access to monitor and record calls from distressed families who were calling 211’s emergency hotline in search of help. They then began following the stories of some of these callers in more depth over several months. The film follows multiple families in their daily struggle to keep their heads above water, while facing overwhelming challenges and dwindling resources available to help them, creating a powerful firsthand view of Americans caught in today’s financial undertow.
The experiences of the families in American Winter are a vivid illustration of what has been happening to families across America, including working families losing their homes, people who remain jobless or underemployed, children going hungry, families getting their heat shut off in the dead of winter, and people with health issues overwhelmed by medical costs.
Framed through the personal stories of eight families, American Winter puts a face on the country’s economic challenges and has the potential to humanize the discussion around these issues. When viewers see these hard working, relatable families in need, it breaks down stereotypes and makes it harder to justify cuts to social services, motivating and bringing together individuals and organizations working towards a new paradigm of opportunity for all Americans.
We are developing partnerships with local and national nonprofit organizations that can utilize the film to advance their specific missions. Additionally, American Winter’s social action campaign will focus on channeling the frustrations of struggling Americans into a movement for positive change, while also supporting legislators to pass bills that allow all Americans to have an opportunity to live a comfortable life and a chance at the American Dream.
Wage against the machine
30 Janhttp://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-28-2014/wage-against-the-machine?xrs=share_copy
Discussing how the increase of the minimum wage will benefit society, includes how the fast food industry benefits from welfare programs.
- Tuesday January 28, 2014
- | Views: 130,181
- |Comments: 45
Wage Against the Machine
Samantha Bee explores the devastating economic effects of raising the minimum wage to the poverty level. (04:59)
Oxfam: Richest 1% own nearly half of world’s wealth
21 JanGraphics displaying the global wealth disparity.
T-shirt global connection
2 Dechttp://apps.npr.org/tshirt/#/title
Traces the life of a t-shirt with five different chapters: cotton, machines, people, boxes, and you. Also has other links to similar stories about t-shirt making processes.
We wanted to see the hidden world behind clothes sold in this country, so we decided to make a T-shirt. We wanted to make an ordinary shirt like the vast majority of the shirts sold in this country — not organic cotton, not hand-sewn in the United States.
Climate Refugees documentary
1 Dechttp://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/1/post/2013/10/what-is-a-climate-refugee.html
Summary: While the science behind climate science clearly shows that climate change is caused by humans (see summary of the 2013 IPCC report), its actual effects on humans is often harder for people to understand. One of the many effects of climate change, however, is the emergence of climate refugees. As defined by the creators of this film by the same name, “a climate refugee is a person displaced by climatically induced environmental disasters. Such disasters result from incremental and rapid ecological change, resulting in increased droughts, desertification, sea level rise, and the more frequent occurrence of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, cyclones, fires, mass flooding and tornadoes. All this is causing mass global migration and border conflicts.” Accordingly, this trailer puts the human face back into climate change to emphasize the impact it is having on over 25 million people now, and these impacts will only continue to grow. But its impact will not only be felt by the refugees themselves, but also the societies that volunteer, or are forced to accept the mass movement of people into their countries. As John Kerry notes in the trailer, it is an “enormous national security issue.” It will have further effects on food and energy prices throughout the world. You can also watch the full film (95 minutes) online. Viewers may also be interested in this second video (2013; 47 seconds) that briefly describes the first American town that will likely be lost to climate change by 2025. Kivalina, Alaska, sits on a small peninsula and is home to 400 indigenous peoples. For generations, they have depended on the sea for their survival, but because of greenhouse gases produced by other people around the world, they will lose their homes to that sea. The broader issue of climate refugees raises many important ethical questions as well. Given that the populations displaced by climate change (mostly in the Global South) have contributed far less to global warming, what responsibilities do those in the Global North–who are largely responsible for greenhouse gas emissions–have in protecting or moving these populations? In other words, what would climate justice look like?
– See more at: http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/1/post/2013/10/what-is-a-climate-refugee.html#sthash.LmSqVTSd.dpuf
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