What about the elderly?
The First Amendment
Right to free speech, right to assemble, right to free press, right to address grievances
Read a preview of the book,
"The Worth of Our Labor"
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Who is C. Wright Mills?
Biography
History
Intersection
Private Troubles and Public Issues
Understanding this concept was probably the thing that helped me the most. Reading this book made me realize that there were many other people who had been studying the things I had worried about for a long time. I loved reading "The Sociological Imagination," a book where Professor Mills wrote about how most people do not understand how much they have in common with their fellow man. If we can't relate our silent fears and troubles to each other, then we think we are suffering alone and we learn to adapt because we have no other choice. I realize now why we are constantly being divided by forces bigger than ourselves. In the small amount of time we have to attend to what is important to us, we don't have time to reasonably work together for good.
Understanding that being poor was not completely my fault was my first step in being able to take a breath and look at my life from a much larger perspective. Education in general, is one of the best defenses against the huge systems that control so much of our lives. Sociology and Karl Marx are just a few of the things that people in the 1% don't want us to understand. I have read how some people denigrate the idea of getting a "liberal arts degree" because they don't want the average person to think about other people in a close, human way. Empathy sometimes seems to have become a thing of the past.
Below are some of the public issues that are at the top of my list of things that I feel we need to talk about openly...
1. Poverty and the working poor, including the elderly and people who are disabled, people who are single parents, the homeless, etc.
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2. Voting and the history of voting in this country, stories about the treatment of women when they were fighting for the right to vote 100 years ago, and, the current unbelievable suppression happening in our time against people of color
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3. Media suppression and attacks from government officials and what that means for any country, and the importance of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights for our future as individuals (our children and grandchildren) and as a society (on micro and macro levels).
Private Troubles and Public Issues
Poverty
The subject of poverty is a good example of something that is obviously a "private trouble" for an individual and a "public issue" for everyone. One woman who earned the title of Professor Emerita (retired and honored professor) from the University of Rhode Island wrote an article about how, "distancing is the dominant response to poor people on the part of those who are not poor." She explains that distancing and exclusion helps people who are not (so) poor feel as though they are "not like that." They can look at poor people as the "others."
Bernice Lott, a psychologist explains that this distancing affects the lives of the poor in so many ways that are systemic and institutional. The systems of stigma and exclusion make it more difficult for people who are poor to access resources that might help. Lack of education, health care and legal assistance keeps them trapped where they are in the system.
Politics and public policy are kept status quo by the people in power who have the money, resources and knowledge to understand exactly what they are doing.
In her article, Lott quotes (Williams, 1993) by saying, "Categorization of groups of people into upper and lower strata, into superior and inferior, is done by those who require such categorization to maintain their power, prevent others from obtaining an equal share of resources, and sustain the myth of superiority."
The poor are kept excluded, silent and invisible because of the stigma. She writes that whether people who are not poor realize it or not, distancing and stereotyping continues to reflect that people are poor because they choose to be. This is a vicious cycle that keeps low-income people locked in place "by erecting barriers to full societal participation."
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Have you or someone you love had an experience with an elder care facility?
Fighting for the right to vote
The free press is an important part of democracy!
Using the "Sociological Imagination" to Explore Elder Care
One of my jobs was working with elderly people in an assisted living facility. It was definitely one of the most rewarding jobs I've had, but also one of the most difficult. It is also one of the places where we see the biographies of so many people converging together in a way that makes me think of workers and labor unions.
Most of the elderly who are living in these facilities were workers during their lifetimes. A lot of them are able to pay the expensive costs of living there because of their pensions. (The last twenty years most pension plans have been decimated by the 1% in ways that have left future generations "not so lucky.")
Whichever way the bill is paid, many of the latest generation of elderly parents and relatives are living out their last years in these facilities. At this time in history, these businesses are the living arrangement of choice for the people that can afford them. These institutional facilities work hard to give the image of a home-like atmosphere. Most of them use the word "home" or other comforting words in their brochures, and, many people find these experiences perfect for their last few years or decades of their lives.
There are a myriad of social activities provided by the establishment. Transportation to stores, appointments and other activities is provided. Meals are served in beautiful dining rooms with chandeliers.
For someone like me, with my background in workers' rights, the first thing I notice is the workers. I see these places supported by workers who are undoubtedly making very low wages. The feelings of "disgruntled workers" makes for a tense atmosphere in the dining room that is noticed by anyone who is paying attention. It also seems that the workers are given strict budgets when it comes to managing supplies, and this seems to be a place where they can "wield" their power. Wayne Dyer talks about the concept of a worker who doesn't have much power in his or her life because of the way society is structured right now. He is writing about how to keep calm and be understanding of a person in this situation, but uses the phrases, "a clerk is a jerk," to remind you to be in control when a person in one of these jobs is taking it out on you. Mr. Dyer explains that the "clerk's" life is probably in turmoil for a variety of reasons (My note... probably worrying about money while they're working their butts off...).
Dyer explains that the only control that person has is the authority they have "at that window" or "in that dining room." In my observation, this type of atmosphere leads to a lot of, what I call "bristling" between those working and those being served. A lot of this is unspoken. Some of it is ignored. Some of it erupts into little arguments that blow over fairly quickly. But, it causes workers to feel the need to be cliquish and shun anyone who might disrupt their own version of the "status quo."
It causes me to think about the lack of disrespect shown to the people who are actually paying the workers' salaries who are retired workers themselves. They may come across as super-rich, but most of them are not. Most of them have their own stories of struggle and survival. It's not the dining room workers or the retired workers who are the problem. The problem is not a person or a group of people. It is the way our society in the United States has responded to the world of capitalism. In many cases, elderly people are not living with their families anymore. They are living in these mini-societies of retired workers. They may not be part of the 47%, but they also are not part of the 1%.
People everywhere grow old and need solutions to their ever-changing situations. These facilities serve the need. An older person could move into a regular apartment in the "independent" section of one of these places, then move to the "assisted living" section if their health declines.
Some parts of this idea are wonderful. A place where older adults can socialize and get help if they need it. The problem seems to come in where the workers, like workers everywhere, don't receive a living wage. How can workers concentrate on their work when they are literally worrying about how they are going to pay the electric bill? Most of these workers don't have insurance. What do they do when they get sick? It's not the residents who live in the facility who are the problem. Sure, some of them are crotchety. But, most of them just want to be treated with dignity and respect. In stressful situations, that seems to be the first thing to go!
Where does the money go? How much profit is made from workers in the last years of their lives? Walmart is famous for taking insurance policies out on their workers. More about that later (MATL).
What I am most interested in is how the systems of capitalism allow the most rich to become richer while the poor become poorer. I am interested in how people in the middle become part of these systems in different ways. The term, "middle class" has been a vague understanding by most people to describe most Americans. The variables of the middle class haven't been discussed much because the concept of "class" wasn't accepted conversation until recently. I feel "Occupation Wall Street" was a major breakthrough against the stigma of class and poverty.
Each generation makes great strides in understanding how the super-rich control our lives. Brave people speak out along the way. Most voices are drowned out. The internet is giving us a chance to change that. The systems that we are operating in keep the pyramid in place. The people working together have to find a way to turn the pyramid upside down. The elderly and their wisdom would be a great help in passing down the understanding needed to break out of these systems. A lot of us learn so much in our 60 to 70 or more years as workers in these bureaucratic institutions.
In some cultures, the wisdom needed to survive is passed down from generation to generation. Everyone listens to what the elders have to say. In this society, we stop listening to them and make them feel as though their experiences were ancient history and no longer useful information. How did we get to this point? There are people who really understand that knowledge is power. Corporate business owners understand they do not want a seasoned worker sharing his past experiences with the new young workers he has hired. This is why older workers are routinely targeted for all types of "early retirement." This gives the corporation time to exploit the young worker as she figures out management's "modus operandi."
Most people have been too afraid to delve into the reason workers today need unions. Most workers today have no idea of the many stories of how American workers fought for basic rights in this country. The people with the money and the power have done an excellent job keeping this information hidden as they did everything they could to squeeze every ounce out of the American worker. I can't help wonder how it would have turned out if we had kept all of our elderly people at home with us. I remember a family I knew when I was younger. Every time, they needed more space, they built an addition and the new married couple moved in. It's just an idea, and it wouldn't work for many people, but if we really listened to the people who have been through this before, we might be wiser as a society now.
This may explain why the need for the senior facilities. Sequester them. Kill two birds with one stone. Use the workers who have no choice but to work for low pay. The energy of disrespect and disgruntled workers seep into the atmosphere making everyone feel as though they are not important. No one really thinks about all of this because, "it's just the way it is." We are just going along trying to survive. Many of these workers are working two jobs. Many of the residents learned things the hard way. The different types of social stigma between these two groups gives me so much to think about. I want to know more, to think more about this. Why do we fall into these groups that make us feel silenced?
I hope you will check out our Members' Page. We will be having activities and more information about the importance of power and how systems are the problem. The people have the power when they stand together. I will be researching interesting statistics and fantastic stories from history. We will use the Professor Mills' idea of using the "sociological imagination" to connect our biographies (personal stories) with others peoples' biographies. We will look at how we can get so much understanding when we look at this intersection of biographies with history. I think it's great that Professor Mills coined the term, "sociological imagination," because the word "imagination" gives the impression of "never-ending," "infinite, and "vast" alternatives and solutions to sociological problems.
I also want to make it very clear that this discussion is not meant to be judgmental. Everyone has to make their own decisions according to what is happening in their own lives. We are all living in this society and there are a lot of choices that are made for us in one way or another. This is actually what I am interested in starting a discussion about, the systems that keep us in the cycles with limited power and resources to make the best decisions for all of us.
My comments are in no way meant to say that living in assisted living facilities or facilities of any kind are better or worse than living at home. Each situation is unique and must be treated as such. What I do want to do is open up dialogue, to have a safe place for all of us to talk about what is working and what isn't working. What a good conversation starter when spending time with elderly people in your circle of friends and family! Everyone loves to talk about themselves and their life experiences. Ask an older person you know what they would change about their living situation. Maybe, you already know how they feel and that would be a story in itself. "My mom really misses her home," or other feelings they have expressed. (These "Member Pages" will offer anonymous ways to share their stories, but it is always good to ask your older person for their permission to share their story if possible.) Also, reading these stories to your elderly friends may help them remember they are not alone. There is a lot of silent suffering in these facilities and having your physical needs met may not be enough. We all know that loneliness and depression affect us physically. The same is true for the older generation and they may be even less able to speak up and share how they're feeling. They are also dealing with that ever-present feeling of "being a burden." The longer they live, the more time they have to overthink. We are going to be there ourselves, sooner than we realize, and we could learn a lot about what to expect if we listen to what they are trying to tell us now. What makes them happy? What makes them miserable? What are they afraid to tell you, and why?
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I would like to get opinions from other people who have been involved with assisted living or other types of residential facilities. I have the first of many surveys ready to review. The interactive portion of this is not set up yet so you will have to email me your answers. I would love it if you want to take the time to do this. If not, I understand. Getting this upgrade for the website is high on my list of priorities. Click here to take survey. I also welcome your comments. This survey is for residents of the facilities, their family members and friends, employees of these companies and any other visitors, vendors, contractors, etc. Please take the survey and send me your thoughts. ccdavis1016@gmail.com
If you would like to add your two cents to this article, head on over to the Members' Page where you can join in a discussion, send me a message and/or take a survey. Membership is free and there is a way to sign up confidentially. ***FREE***
While working with some of the older people, I had the pleasure of meeting a sweet, older gentleman named, Leo. He was very kind and I adopted him as a sort of father-figure. When I met him he had just turned 94 years old. He passed away almost a year later, on my birthday. He might not have understood my website, but I do feel certain he would understand the spirit that I am trying to impart.
I plan to share a lot of "Leo Stories." He was so funny and interesting. This first story is about how compassionate he was and that is what I loved the most about him! One day I came in and found him watching television and very upset. It was during the time the Trump administration was separating children from their parents and the news stations were showing lots of pictures and video of children crying.
I'm not sure if Leo was changing channels or not, but someone how he also watched a commercial about children with cancer. Leo was so upset. It took me a while to figure it out, but he thought all the kids in the cages were dying of cancer! (Not that one child dying of cancer isn't one too many!) I'm just glad I didn't have to try and explain to him why children were being kept in cages!
During the year that I knew him, I learned to look at the world through Leo's eyes. It was my job to take care of him and he worried about me.
I plan to have several Leo stories. Leo and his cohorts. I had the honor of joining him and a few of the other residents for dinner many nights and they will always be some of my favorite memories. I finally found a job that wasn't really a JOB!
I miss you, Leo!
Using the Sociological Imagination
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A private matter would be when you suspect your aging parent or grandparent is not being treated with respect at a facility where they are living. A public issue is whether the facilities are doing what they are supposed to be doing in caring for your loved one and their other residents. Maybe, recognizing that the problem is not yours alone, but a problem that affects many other people will help find a way to solve the problem. Maybe, it would help to join together and organize for change. This could be done in so many different ways... in each facility, in legislation, and/or in bringing awareness to others by holding the locations accountable.
Sociological Thinkers
Weber felt that the increased rationalization of humans would lead to a "polar night of icy darkness." He wrote that humans would feel as though they are trapped in an "iron cage" of rational control.
Other Sociologists...
Durkheim
Karl Mannheim
Robert Merton
Wasn't Karl Marx some kind of radical criminal?
Relating to Karl Marx
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Part I
Karl Marx was born in Trier, Germany on May 5, 1818. His father was a Jewish lawyer whose entire family converted to Christianity. Marx earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1841. He is blamed by some for the death of millions of people because of his writings. I look at his writings differently. As someone who has often felt misunderstood, I relate to Karl Marx because he is also often misunderstood. I feel that there are many things he wrote about that a lot of us would agree with and, I also suggest that there are some people who purposely want us to have a low opinion of Mr. Marx.
It is amazing to think of him living two hundred years ago. Using the "sociological imagination" I try to think of his life at that time. The things he is interested in about society are the same things I have been interested in for years. Thirty years ago, if someone would have told me my ideas were "Marxist," I would have thought they were absolutely crazy!
Marx lived during the Industrial Revolution. He was concerned with how many hours human beings were working in the factories and about the horrible working conditions that were common. Men, women and children were systematically being exploited. Poverty was rampant. His own family struggled financially. Marx was not able to keep his editorial jobs very long because of his willingness to write about these controversial subjects. Business owners and people in power did not want this kind of information getting out to the public.
The concerns Marx had were not just for the individual people, they were for society as a whole. He wrote extensively about the working conditions in the factories. He cites other studies regarding home sewing factories where mostly women and children worked for long hours. Working from six in the morning until ten o'clock at night was not unusual. Even small children worked four to eight hours a day. Karl Marx wrote it like this, "...working time up to the maximum endurable by the human organism." He also said that "the human sweat and the human blood were converted into commodities."
Marx watched and studied how machines and "soldier-like" organization changed the way work had previously been done by tradespeople with specialized skills. There was no way they could compete. (The first time I read this paragraph in 2003, Walmart was in the process of doing something similar across the country.) Tradespeople were absorbed into the ranks of low-wage workers. The workers received "cash payments" for their personal labor. The manufacturer paid them subsistence wages, something I have always called, "paid just enough to come back to work the next day." My husband calls it "economic slavery."
When really reading Karl Marx you can tell that he considers it a more natural life for a human being to be able to spend time with their families. He wrote about how things had changed to where once one family member could provide for the family's needs, it now took four, mother and children. Play time was now work time. The Industrial Revolution had moved people from an agricultural life into the cities, into poverty.
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"The Garbage Bag Story"
Have you ever thought about how, sometimes, the packages of products you buy at the store get smaller, but the price goes up just a little? I've noticed it many times with food products like ice cream, candy bars and potato chips. Hmmm.... you can tell what I like to buy. But, seriously, capitalism is constantly having to cut corners somewhere to make a profit. A perfect example is "The Garbage Bag Story." This is a story I heard a long time ago. It illustrates the point that capitalism must "grow." The faster it "grows," the more competition there is among the workers. The greater competition there is among the workers, the amount of jobs, and the amount of pay in those jobs, decreases. However, in "Wage-Labor and Capital," Marx noted that rapid growth of capital is great for the owners' profits! If you read this section of his writing you will see how dark and unnatural he felt this system was (and is) for the individual workers and for future society. Think of today's corporations. Your boss has a lot of control over your life. Think of the difference in pay between today's corporate owners, executives, and their workers. ("Wage-Labor and Capital" was originally written in 1849-N.J.S.)
Relating to Karl Marx
Part II
In the introduction to the book, "Karl Marx On Society and Social Change," Neil J. Smelser writes that Karl Marx's thoughts and writings... "constitutes one of the most comprehensive theories of man and society ever elaborated." He said that Marx had an explanation for almost every facet of individual life and social life. Marx may not have predicted the future correctly, but his writings give us a lot to think about. Marx noticed early in his life that, as he put it, 'Capitalism loses on one side for society what it gains on another for the individual capitalist."
Marx also studied economics and developed a thesis regarding the harmful effects the capitalist system was having on the laboring classes. Marx explained his thoughts on how human beings were not meant to spend their entire lives working for low pay for a few wealthy people's benefit. As if understanding this wasn't enough, Marx also came to understand that the men with capital feel it is important for men with capital to be able to take advantage of this capital to increase their production when the supplies and resources they need are available. This means that these wealthy businessmen knew a long time ago that they needed to have people ready to work when they needed them. It also means that when they don't need the workers, they let them go. Marx quotes H. Merivale, formerly professor of Political Economy at Oxford, subsequently employed in the English Colonial Office, talking about the decisions these businessmen much make... "They must have hands ready by them, they must be able to increase the activity of their operations when required, and to slacken it again, according to the state of the market, or they cannot possibly maintain that pre-eminence in the race of competition on which the wealth of the country is founded." Marx found this quote in H. Merivale: "Letters on Colonization and Colonies, 1841" Vol. 1., p. 146.
Layoffs in more recent American history weren't as unnecessary as they appeared to be to the naive American worker who usually accepted this as "just the way it is." But, it gets more sinister when you realize how much wealthy businessmen understood back in Karl Marx's time. Karl Marx wrote that the men with capital knew that it was better to have fewer men working than necessary, rather than more than was needed for any particular job or business. In other words, it is usually more cost effective to just "insist" that the fewer laborers work harder. They also know it is more cost effective to hire lesser trained laborers to replace laborers who were more skilled and therefore, cost more. (It seems to me this happens now when older workers are replaced with younger, less experienced ones. Not only are they more physically able and more willing to accept lower pay, they also are not yet aware of the tactics of the capitalists.)
Another perk of the overworked, exploited workers with the jobs is that they can constantly be threatened with the fact that there are "plenty of other people lined up waiting to take your job." The workers with jobs are also much more willing to allow themselves to be overworked and exploited when there is a lot of job competition. One class of working-class people are forced into unemployment, as Marx calls, "enforced idleness," because the other half who got their jobs through a variety of skill, ambition and luck allow themselves to be overworked, knowing this is their only survival. It's a win-win for the capitalist because all of this increases production and the wealthy accumulate more capital. ("It takes money to make money.")
Marx goes on to write about how the wealthy (and, we all know this is true now) infiltrate government, as he writes, "by plain corruption of officials, of which America is the classic example, and by an alliance between the government and the stock exchange." Workers see all of this but are either helpless, indifferent or a combination of both. Marx describes this feeling of the work as "alienation." The system is so entrenched (and, has been for so long) that even back during his time, Marx wrote that... "but capital knows how to throw these, for the most part, from its own shoulders onto those of the working class and the lower middle class." He is talking about how the wealthy even find a way to have the low-wage and middle wage workers shoulder the burden of taking care of the people even less well off than themselves. These are the sick, the older people, the unemployed...
They grow and grow and accumulate more and more until as Marx said, "Australia was converted into a colony for growing wool." This made me think of sugar plantations and cotton plantations and how the accumulated wealth grows and grows. It makes me think of Wal-mart gobbling up smaller businesses and stores. It makes me think of call centers and low-wage retail jobs. The forty-hour work week, the good job with benefits is rare.
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"Accumulation of wealth at one pole is at the same time accumulation of misery, agony of the toil, slavery, ignorance, brutality, mental degradation, at the opposite pole." --Karl Marx
***Relating to Karl Marx
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Finding where my biography intersects with history ***
Karl Marx was never really able to use his degree. He and his family struggled financially. His friend, Friedrich Engels, helped him out financially and also, gave him access to his families' factories in England for his research. The reason Marx could not really use his degree was that he quite often spoke out politically in his writings. He migrated from Germany to Paris where the French government expelled him. He lived in Brussels for four years, then moved to England.
"My incapacity for adaptation..."
Marx's writings and research are relevant today. I agree with Marx when he said, "Keep people from their history and they are easily controlled." Reading and studying his words have helped me understand a lot of things about society today. I was so glad to find out I wasn't crazy for thinking so many of the things I was thinking about many of my jobs. When I read Marx's phrase "incapacity for adaptation," I laughed out loud because I feel that's how I am. I've had a difficult time adapting to the capitalistic society the way it is. When Marx made the comment about people with an "incapacity for adaptation," he was referring to people who could not work for some reason or another. Reading about "surplus labor" and "alienation" helped me make sense of my life. It has helped me connect the dots where "my biography intersects with my point in history"
Relating to Karl Marx
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Part III
Digging a little deeper, I read what Marx noticed in his research, that working class people were having much shorter life spans than people with wealth. We are seeing this more and more in the United States, described like this by Karl Marx years ago. "It thus appeared that the well-to-do classes had a lease of life which was more than double the value of that which fell to the lot of the less favored citizens." In writing about the "surplus of labor," the idea that capitalists encourage more births for future workers made Marx write this... "It calls to mind the boundless reproduction of animals individually weak and constantly hunted down." He wrote that this "forms a disposable industrial reserve army, that belongs to capital quite as absolutely as if the latter had bred it at its own costs." He said, this "creates for the changing needs of the self-expression of capital, a mass of human material always ready for exploitation."
These are cycles and systems that the wealthy have known about and manipulated for a long time! Could this be why the wealthy capitalists in this country fund the pro-life side of politics? Is that too far-fetched? Does anyone else remember how the corporations started bringing immigrants into this country in the last thirty years or so? This allowed capitalists to bring wages down even further than before, and now, they want to pivot and act like they are against allowing immigrants into the country!?!
If you have not seen the documentary, "The Corporation," you really have to see it. It's the basic primer to understanding how these systems and cycles have us trapped. Trapped like Max Weber described as in "an iron cage of rational control."
"The full man does not understand the wants of the hungry." --Karl Marx
"A Dream Deferred," by Langston Hughes
It's not just about hunger for food. It's about having the right to develop to your best potential... the pursuit of happiness... Maslow's Hierarchy...
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Elder Care Survey
Please answer the following anonymous* survey questions according to your own experiences. Feel free to add your own notes.
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1. Type of facility (Check all that apply)
a. Assisted Living
b. Memory Care
c. Rehab Center
d. Private Home
e. Other ______________________
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2. Your status during your experience(s)... Check all that apply
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a. Resident or patient
b. Family member
c. Employee
d. Outside vendor or contractor
e. Volunteer
f. Other ______________________
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3. Time Period
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a. Before January 1, 2000
b. Since January 1, 2000
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Also...
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a. More than 6 weeks
b. Less than 6 weeks
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The following are Multiple Choice Questions
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1.
A. I am at the beginning of my experience with elder care.
B. I am right in the middle of this experience.
C. For now, the elder care experience is behind me.
D. I haven't even begun!
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2.
A. So far, my elder care experience has been okay.
B. I am having a lot of mixed emotions about this experience.
C. I want to forget about it so much I didn't even want to answer this survey!
D. Why is it called an experience?
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3.
A. I (or my loved one) is/was in a small facility.
B. I (or my loved one) is/was in a medium facility.
C. I (or my loved one) is/was in a large facility.
D. I (or my loved one) is/was in a huge complex of a different types of facilities.
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4.
A. Overall, the staff were kind and attentive to me and those around me.
B. Staff were somewhat aloof.
C. There were a few excellent staff, but the rest were not so great.
D. Staff have a very bad attitude.
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5.
A. The facility is/was spotless.
B. The facility is/was clean enough.
C. The place is/was filthy.
D. I haven't seen enough to decide.
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6.
A. I do not really understand which staff person does which job.
B. I am pretty clear on who to speak to if I need something.
C. I have a great relationship with the people who are taking care of me and/or my family member.
D. I don't even ask for help because I know I won't get it.
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7.
A. Everyone is so pleasant and friendly at this place!
B. It's like every place else. There are great people and there are mean people.
C. I would move to another elder care facility if I could.
D. I hate the thought of this place.
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8.
A. I am excited to have received all of the amenities I was promised!
B. I am completely satisfied with the service I receive.
C. I thought I would receive more care for the price I'm paying.
D. It is not worth the money!
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9.
A. I think my facility is one of the best.
B. My facility is about average in the industry.
C. I am in the economy version of elder care.
D. I don't even know what is available.
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10.
A. I'm not that concerned with how kind and gentle the staff are.
B. I hope the staff are kind and gentle.
C. I would expect the staff to always be kind and gentle to everyone.
D. I've never really thought about it.
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Circle YES or NO for the next twenty questions
11. I would definitely recommend my facility to someone needing care.
YES NO
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12. The staff usually make me and my family member feel comfortable.
YES NO
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13. Most of the time, I felt the staff listened to me and did their best to assist me.
YES NO
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14. Most of the staff had very good attitudes. There were only a few employees who seemed to have bad attitudes.
YES NO
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15. I felt the staff were good listeners. They went out of their way to meet my needs.
YES NO
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16. Staff always spoke with respect to my family members and to me.
YES NO
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17. Although my experience has been difficult, staff always helped to make it better.
YES NO
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18. If employees are only given a set amount of time to get their work done (and there usually aren't enough staff), it is understandable and acceptable to be disrespectful sometimes.
YES NO
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19. I understand and agree with the amount that was paid to the facility whether it was paid by insurance, medicare and/or pensions, or personal finances, etc.
YES NO
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20. I think from what I've seen, this is just the way it is in an elder care facility and there's nothing we can do about it.
YES NO
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Glossary
Affordable Care Act (ACA) - The Affordable Care Act is the short title for the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The ACA is often referred to as "Obamacare." The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that, as of February 2016, twenty million more adults (age 18-64) had health insurance due to the Affordable Care Act. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act)
Alienation -A concept described by Karl Marx as the feeling of estrangement workers have because they are not fulfilling their own creative desires. Marx believed it is because the workers' time is being exploited and workers are not allowed to live as free and creative as human beings should.
American Dream - An idea that has been imbedded in the general psyche of Americans and people around the world. The belief is that if you work hard in America, you can be successful. More people are waking up to the reality that many people spend their lives working hard in low-paying jobs in a constant struggle just to survive.
Anarchy – “Absence of government, lawlessness or political disorder.” (thiswww.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anarchy)
Autodidactic – Self-taught
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Awakening - Awareness, having or showing realization or knowledge. Conscious, cognizant, awake, mindful. Becoming aware of something, becoming conscious of something or enlightened about something.
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Bourgeoisie - The business owners. Those who make money from their capital and the labor of other human beings.
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Capital - The money available above the money needed to meet your expenses. Money you can use to make more money.
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Capitalism - The economic system in which the means of distribution and production are privately owned and operated for private profit.
Capitalist – “A wealthy person who uses money to invest in trade and industry for profit in accordance with the principles of capitalism.” (bing.com/search)
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Charity – “The voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need.” (bing.com/search)
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Cheerful Robot – In his book, “The Sociological Imagination (page 171),” Professor Mills worried that human beings were becoming robots that would be outwardly “cheerful and willing” to be controlled so much that they would lose their “deep down urge for freedom and a will to reason.”
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Civil Rights – “The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.” (bing.com/search)
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Class – “The system of ordering a society in which people are divided into sets based on perceived social or economic status.” (bing.com/search)
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Class Solidarity – “Unity (as a group or class) that produces or is based on unities of interest, objectives, standards, and sympathies. It refers to the ties in a society than bind people together as one. It can be a powerful tool for organizing and defending our communities.” (bing.com/search)
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Class Structure – “The organization of classes within a society – people having the same social, economic, or educational status.” (thefreedictionary.com/class+ structure)
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Climate Change – The National Institute of Environmental Health Science has a website (niehs.nih.gov/health/topic/agents/climate-change) The website states that “Climate change is the result of the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels for energy and other human activities. These gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, warm and alter the global climate, which causes environmental changes to occur that can affect people’s health and well-being.” Wikipedia states “that human activity has caused climate change is not disputed by any scientific body of national or international standing.” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/climate change)
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Code Pink – The organization Code Pink describes itself this way on its website. “A women-led grassroots organization working to end U.S. wars and militarism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect our tax dollars into healthcare, education, green jobs, and other life-affirming programs.” It ends with the invitation, “Join us!” (codepink.org)
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Communism – “Today, the word communism usually refers to the political and economic ideologies originating from Karl Marx’s theory of revolutionary socialism, which advocates a proletariat overthrow of capitalist structures within a society; societal and communal ownership and governance of the means of production, and the eventual establishment of a classless society.” (merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communism)
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Community Organizer – “A person whose job is to coordinate efforts and campaigning carried out by local residents to promote the interest of their community.” “Someone who works to empower a community of individuals.” (bing.com/search)
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Consumer Culture – Consumer culture theory is the study of consumption choices and behaviors from a social and cultural point of view, as opposed to an economic or psychological one.” (wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_culture_theory)
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Culture Jam - An activity or action that gets peoples' attention by doing something the opposite of the cultural norm. One example is when organizers placed stickers over advertisements at bus stations, subway stations and street corners. The stickers had remarks that made people think about the models in the ads by asking questions about the pressure society places on young women to look like super-skinny models.
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Democracy – “A government by the people – rule of the majority.” “A government which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.” (merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy)
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Disrupt – “To interrupt the normal progress or activity of something.” (bing.com/disrupt)
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Economic Slavery - Working in a job where you make just enough money to come back to work the next day.
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Evangelical – Several different descriptions available. Today, they are loosely defined as Christians with extreme political views. The Merriam-Webster dictionary uses the terms “Being in agreement with the Christian gospel” and “marked by militant or crusading zeal.” (merriam-webster dictionary/evangelicals)
Fair Trade – “The goal of Fair Trade is to reduce poverty for farmers and workers in developing countries. This means not just paying them more in the short term, but also helping them improve their skills, build up their communities, and protect the
local environment so its resources will be there for future generations.” (bing.com/fair trade)
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Federal Medical Leave Act – (FMLA) The FMLA entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health coverage under the same terms and conditions as if
the employee had not taken the leave.” There is detailed information on the Department of Labor website. (dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla)
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Free Market – “An economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned business. (bing.com/freemarket)
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FMLA – Federal Medical Leave Act (see above)
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Great Recession of 2008 – “The Great Recession of 2008 Explained with Dates” by Kimberly Amadeo Updated July 1, 2020. www.thebalance.com
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Haymarket Tragedy - A protest in Chicago in 1886 where people were fighting for an eight-hour workday. Eight organizers were arrested. Four were hung. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/haymarket_affair)
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Horatio Alger Stories – Stories that helped continue the myth that anyone can come from humble beginnings and rise to the middle class with hard work and good morals.
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Human Rights – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the United Nations website spells it out. (un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html)
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Just Cause – In labor unions and in the law, the term is used to say that a person can only be fired for “just cause” (a reasonable cause for termination) – This doesn’t stop some employers from playing mind games as a subtle way to harass workers until they make a mistake or quit out of frustration
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Labor – There are many different definitions for the word “labor.” Check out this list on the Your Dictionary website, “34 Definitions of Labor.” My favorites on their list are 1. Working for wages, 2. Physical or mental exertion; toil, 3. Labor unions collectively, 4. To work hard. (yourdictionary.com/labor)
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Labor Union – “An organization that represents the collective interest of workers.” (investopedia.com/terms/1/labor-union.asp)
LGBTQ Rights – Gay rights are human rights, but it is necessary to spell them out. One place to start would be (http://gaycenter.org/about/lgbtq).
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Ludlow Massacre – A battle between the Colorado National Guard and striking coal miners who were living in a tent colony in Ludlow, Colorado. Nineteen people died including thirteen women and children who suffocated while hiding in a pit to escape gunfire. This happened April 20, 1914. The National Guard was involved but the real dispute was between the largest private employer in Colorado, the Fuel and Iron Company (CF&I) and the mine workers. The workers wanted the company to follow state laws regarding mining and they wanted to be represented by the United Mine Workers of America, a labor union.
Macro - Looking at the larger perspective.
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Mandatory Overtime – In most cases, there is no law that requires an employer to keep you as an employee if you do not want to work overtime.
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Mazlow's Hierarchy of Needs – A classification system that states the universal need to fulfill certain needs before moving to the next level. As a pyramid, the basic needs of human beings are at the bottom of the pyramid and the more complex needs are at the top. There is a lot of information on the internet about Mazlow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
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Means of Production -So many definitions for this one. It is basically all the facilities, tools, machinery and materials used for production. The interest is in who owns the means of production. Is it private or government owned?
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Micro - Focused on the closer perspective of something.
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Movetoamend.org – On January 21, 2010, with its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are persons, entitled by the U.S. Constitution to buy elections and run our government.
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Niche – Specialized market or focus
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Occupy Movement – “An international progressive socio-political movement that expresses opposition to social and economic inequality and to the lack of “real democracy” around the world.” (Wikipedia)
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Occupy Wall Street - An organized group of citizens who were protesting against Wall Street and the lack of accountability the banking industry has to the people.
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Organizing - Forming people into a group such as a union or community group. Bringing a group of people together for labor or political reasons.
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Philanthropists - A person who donates to charity, especially large sums of money. The money is used to help others, but many times it keeps people in their place rather than paying them what they are worth from the beginning. Philanthropists like to use their donations to paint themselves as caring about humanity.
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Personal Troubles - An individual's personal problems, especially as described by Professor C. Wright Mills in his book, “The Sociological Imagination.” Mills wrote that we need to look at our personal troubles and the public issues of society together to understand our situation fully.
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Politics – Bing. Com takes me to this definition… “The activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power."
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But my favorite definition of politics is... "Who gets what, when, where, why and how."
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Privilege - Bing.com defines privilege as "a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group." This concept is being debated all over the world thanks to the term, "white privilege" that has come to define the special privilege a white person has just because they are white.
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Proletariat - The people who make money from their labor or other skills. The majority of a population, one that is often exploited by the bourgeoise (the business owners).
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Public Issues - Society's issues that trouble more than a few people, especially as described by Professor C. Wright Mills in his book, “The Sociological Imagination.”
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"the Pyramid" - Bono, lead singer from the group, U2, describes "the Pyramid" being turned upside down in his speech, "Keeping Faith with the Idea of America," at Georgetown University in 2012. The idea of the pyramid is used by economists and other experts to describe the American economy where 1 - 2% of the population owns 95% of the country's resources. The other 98 - 99% share the bottom portion of the pyramid.
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Right-to-work – This is a law and a concept used by states and corporations to keep workers from understanding and benefitting from union membership. In so called, “Right-to-work” states, employers actually benefit by keeping their workers uninformed and uneducated about their own rights and workers lose by having lower wages and less benefits than workers in union jobs.
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Silent Sentinels – Women who organized to fight for women’s right to vote were also referred to as the “Sentinels of Liberty.” They dressed mostly in white and stood in front of the White House carrying signs to get President Wilson’s and the public’s attention. Many of the women were harassed and illegally arrested. In jail, women were abused and force fed.
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Sociological Imagination – According to his book, Professor C. Wrights Mills defines the sociological imagination as “the quality of mind that enable us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society.” (pg. 6 “The Sociological Imagination.”)
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Sociology – The study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society. The study of social problems, the study of groups and group interactions.
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"the South" – The large southeast section of the United States of America. This part of the country is still influenced by ideologies from the “South” in Civil War America. There is also a strong right-wing religious ideology that is very widespread in most of this broad area.
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Staff Union - A union of workers that work for a labor union. In many cases, they need protection against their own bosses.
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Stigma – A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person
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System – An organized framework or method of organizing
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Tactics – An action or strategy carefully planned to achieve a specified end. (Google)
Textile Workers’ Strike – The largest strike in U.S. labor history at the time. Occurred in 1934 in New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern states. The strike lasted 22 days and involved over 400,000 workers. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textile_workers_strike_(1934)
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Usury – The lending of money with an interest charged for its use. Especially refers to the lending of money at exorbitant rates. (Merriam-Webster)
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Vigilantes – Members of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime when the processes of law are viewed as inadequate
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Wagner Act – Passed in 1935, the Wagner Act guaranteed the right of all workers to organize and bargain collectively. Employers cannot fire or harass an employee for union activity. Like many laws, this one is only as strong as the people make it.
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Weingarten Rights – This rule states that a union worker may have a union representative present for any discussion that may lead to the worker being disciplined or fired. This rule does not apply to non-union workers and must be stated by the employee. The employer does not have the responsibility to tell you that you have this right and can question you if you don’t speak up.
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White privilege – “The societal privilege that benefits white people over non-white people in some societies, particularly if they are otherwise under the same social, political, or economic circumstances.” (Wikipedia)
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Women's Rights – “The rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide.”
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Workers' Rights – Start with the U.S. Department of Labor website (dol.gov)
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Work-hard Work-ethic – The belief that “if you work hard, you will be successful.” This also implies a subtle belief that if you’re not successful, you must not have worked hard.
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