- What are Featherstone's most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart?
- What do Wal-Mart shoppers and employees have in common? What, according to Featherstone, is the "tremendous debt Wal-Mart owes women?
- According to the author, why will boycotting Wal-Mart not work? What punitive strategy should be used instead?
- What is Featherstone's purpose in writing this essay?
- Does Featherstone anticipate her audience to be friendly, hostile or neutral? What evidence in the text is there to support your opinion?
- What is Featherstone's thesis? Is it stated or implied?
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Down and Out in Discount America
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1. Featherstone's most compelling argument about Wal-mart was how walmart hires third world country people so that they can be under paid. Wal-mart doesn't even pay their health benefits if they are part time workers. She argues at how the workers are being mistreated and taken advantage of, not only that how women are discriminated against.
ReplyDelete1.) Featherstone directly say that Wal-mart is known for discriminating against women and they also lowered the wages of their employees and encouraged them to apply for public assistance which put the state of California in a $38 billion deficit at the time. Not only is Wal- mart responsible for the this corporate Welfare as the book refer to it as, but their also responsible for driving many Mom and Pop stores out of business
ReplyDelete1.Featherstone's most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart are that it targets the poor and elderly. They are the most exploited group because they usually have no power in the economic environment around them. The way wal-mart gives the workers is unfair. It keeps them in a cycle that they can’t get out of. Women suffer the most from what wal-mart does with its labor practices. Wal-mart knows that the they can get away with it because they always have a way to counter the lawsuits. The poverty that the workers are in make it seems like they have no choice. It’s a sad, but true reality that wal-mart does this.
ReplyDelete1. Featherstone makes many valid arguments in this essay, some are stronger than others. In my opinion the most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart that she presents are sex discrimination charges that Wal-Mart faces. She also includes the argument about how Wal-Mart encourages their employees to collect public assistance. Also she states that Wal-Mart has posters and documents which give information about how to obtain the public assistance when this economy is “in the middle of the worst state budget crisis in history!”
ReplyDelete2. Wal-Mart shoppers and employees both share many thoughts and have many of the same things in common with each other. One thing that seems to strike Featherstone is that the majority of shoppers and employees are women. Featherstone states that employers that work at Wal-Mart and the customers who shop there share that fact that they both have a low-income. Featherstone states, the “tremendous debt Wal-Mart owes women”. She says this because she feels the company owes something to the workers who work with joy and genuine care for the customer even though the company abuses their workers in various ways.
ReplyDelete1. What are Featherstone's most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart?
ReplyDeleteIn paragraph 21 assembly woman Sally Lieber found out that Wal-Mart was telling their employees how to apply for and receive welfare services. By doing so Wal-Mart has an unfair advantage against their competition. They are able to offer less money to their employees and make the tax payers pick up the difference. After those discoveries, Lieber passed a bill stating that any large and mid-sized corporations that fail to provide decent, affordable health insurance will have to reimburse the government. Featherstone says that Wal-Mart mobilized their resources and had the bill revoked; and denies that their employees depend on public assistance. When a number one Fortune 500 Company can make tax payers pick up their slack; I say bigger government and more regulation.
Alyssa said,1. Featherstone's most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart are that Wal-Mart does not treat workers fair, they take business away from small shop, they discriminated against female workers. They to not pay benefits to parttime workers.Wal- Mart breaks many rules.
ReplyDelete4. Featherstone's purpose in writing this essay is to opens they eyes of the everyday Walmart shoppers. She wants them to realize how corrupt the corporation is. Featherstone want to make people boycott against Walmart by buying from the little businesses instead of Walmart. Its mostly walmart's fault that all the little businesses in small towns go out of business.
ReplyDelete3. According to Featherstone boycotting Wal-Mart will not work because there are too many low income people who need to shop at Wal-Mart because that is all they can afford. Many women who were interviewed have a very low income, as low as 8,000 and they can barely afford a meal from McDonalds. These women state that with such a low income they can get a whole cart full of groceries at Wal-Mart compared to one bag of groceries from their local “mom and pop store.” An alternative to boycotting should be enforcing everyone who is against shopping at Wal-Mart to speak up. Many people who want to boycott Wal-Mart don’t speak up to their congressmen and that might be the difference. Featherstone states that very few people will respond by shopping elsewhere and only a handful will take any further action. If these people are seriously impacted by Wal-Mart and their actions then they should take further action to make a difference since boycotting does not seem to be making an effect.
ReplyDelete4. Featherstone’s purpose in writing this essay about Wal-Mart is to raise awareness of what is going on to these workers and how they are being treated in the work place. She states things such as enforcing workers to collect public assistance. She also informs readers how mangers’ have workers punch out and continue working and how some Wal-Mart’s lock their doors and do not allow employers to leave for some time. Featherstone’s main purpose of writing this essay is to let everyone be informed of what is going on and to encourage people to take action and to stand up for these workers who are scared to say anything in fear of getting fired. Wal-Mart’s should be unionized for the sake of their employee’s
ReplyDeletefeatherstone's argument is base on the federal law which permits workers to lobby other workers in their work place to form a labor union. The store is basically set up for woman and grants discounts for the elderley.Walmart has a stingy compensation policies; workers only make 8$ an hour.A 2003 study shows that 23 percent of walmart shoppers only make $25,000 a year.Walmart goal is to keep labor cost down.
ReplyDeleteWhat do Wal-Mart shoppers and employees have in common? What, according to Featherstone, is the "tremendous debt Wal-Mart owes women? What Walt-Mart shoppers and employees have in common is that they all are women struggling to make ends meet. The tremendous debt Walt-Mart owes women is that the women work with ease and happiness but Walt-mart still treats them like crap. The emplyoess aminly women tend to to be wawre that the customers circumstances are similar to theirs. Featherstone is agruing that the women she be treated better.
ReplyDelete2.) Many of Walmart’s employees have one thing in common and that’s shopping at Walmart. Many people who shop at walmart are mostly apart of poverty stricken areas that restricts them at shopping at any other retailer. The tremendous debt that the author speaks of is how much Walmart owes the women for their caring and consideration for their customers through all the frustrations that they were presented with on the day to day bases
ReplyDelete2. What do Wal-Mart shoppers and employees have in common? What, according to Featherstone, is the "tremendous debt Wal-Mart owes women?
ReplyDeleteFeatherstone points out that both Wal-Mart shoppers and employees are poor and very poor. She also says that Wal-Mart is indebted to women for their success. The women who are employed by Wal-Mart are sympathetic and relatable to the low income women who shop there. They are kept in a borderline poverty working/shopping cycle. They get paid minimally, therefore are stuck shopping at the only place they can afford.
1)What are Featherstone's most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart?
ReplyDeleteFeatherstone's most compelling argument is the inequallity of womens in the workplace. she feels women are being used to be under paid and being treated unfair in the workplace. Many have tried to charge wal-mart wit systematical sex discrimination in the workplace but its unclear if they won the lawsuit or not. the text also states that even when workers are done for the day the managers make them clock out and make keep on working which is probably illegal.
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ReplyDelete1. Liza Featherstone's most appealing argument against Wall-Mart its advantage to make profit from poverty. Wall-Mart has done its research and have manufacture its own way to approach a poor society. She also stated that many of their employees are females, which are being use to attract its customers. To Liza, “WAL-MART,” it’s just another scam artist that no one can see but it’s their suppliers who suffer the consequences.
ReplyDelete5. I feel as though she anticipates her audience to be very neutral. When she presents an argument she backs it up with vivid details and she explains at the end of her essay why people in this society need to take action against Wal-Mart. I feel as though she wrote this essay having in mind that many citizens do not know what really goes on in Wal-Mart and what the employee’s deal with daily. At the end of her essay she states that the situation won’t change until a movement comes together. I feel as though she is informing the readers of the issues that are taking place and is trying to have them pick a side come together to build a movement that can balance out the power of Wal-Mart corporations.
ReplyDelete1. What are Featherstone's most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart?
ReplyDeleteFeatherstone’s most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart are that they maintain employee wages significantly low to force them to shop at Wal-Mart. By stating that Wal-Mart has helped the lower class to grow by providing all its employees with minimum wage to in turn bolster their own profits and expand their market, Featherstone highlights the evils of Wal-Mart’s corporate greed. Another argument presented is that Wal-Mart defrauds the government by encouraging employees to seek public assistance. Tax payer dollars are then inadvertently used to subsidize Wal-Mart’s low wages and lack of benefits.
2. What do Wal-Mart shoppers and employees have in common? What, according to Featherstone, is the "tremendous debt Wal-Mart owes women?
ReplyDeleteWal-Mart shoppers and employees are more often than not, one in the same. Customers are forced to shop at Wal-Mart because they are poor and cannot afford to shop elsewhere. Employees of Wal-Mart are often those same poor customers who see no other alternative but to work at a Wal-Mart. Because of the low wages, they can then only shop at Wal-Mart. A significant amount of Wal-Mart employees and customers are women, yet more often than not, Wal-Mart displays discriminatory actions in pay and promotions
What are Featherstone's most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart? Featherstone's most compelling arguements against Walt-Mart is that anybody caught forming a union is fired. Another case made was encouraging employees to apply for public assistance allowing Walt-Mart to pay them less money and tax payers will get the rest. Walt-mart is basically using their employess. The emplyees know that if they quit, its going to be hard to find another job.
ReplyDelete2)What do Wal-Mart shoppers and employees have in common? What, according to Featherstone, is the "tremendous debt Wal-Mart owes women?
ReplyDeleteWell this question is the same reason why Wal-Mart does well. Since shoppers like shopping and they always go for lower prices, the workers can better help them find what there looking for because they are shoppers themselves in short there mostly all women. The workers provide excellent service and able to connect with the customers. Even with this Wal-Mart still owe women because the women are the ones helping them make money while they win little themselves. also for all the discrimination against them and the irresponsibilities of the managers Wal-Mart owe women alot at this point.
2. According to my readings, WALL-MART costumers and WALL-MART employees have in common is that they are both being victimize. They live in the same rural areas and their incomes are most likely to be the same as its customers. Featherstone wrote, “Charges to the company with systematically discriminating against women in pay and promotions, "Wal-Mart Values: Selling Women Short." Meaning having no consideration of women’s value, and simply stating that man are superior or at least that’s what I’m interpreting from my readings.
ReplyDelete1. What are Featherstone's most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart?
ReplyDeleteFeatherstone’s most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart is that Wal-Mark are that it transfer items from over sea that made from sweatshops workers, paying low wages and not providing healthcare for its workers, eliminate any chances for workers unions to rise up against them.
3. According to the author, why will boycotting Wal-Mart not work? What punitive strategy should be used instead?
ReplyDeleteAccording to Featherstone, boycotting Wal-Mart will not work because many people are dependent on Wal-Mart’s low prices. While a boycott could work in isolated communities, it is un-likely for this strategy to work nationwide. Instead, Featherstone suggests that people step out of the role of consumer and into that of worker and citizen. The most effective way to combat Wal-Mart is through legislation, as noted by the efforts of Sally Leiber in California, and communities in Chicago and Hartford, Connecticut.
2. What wal-mart shoppers and employees have in common is that they are both usually in poverty or low-economy status. There are more women working at wal-mart and also shop there too. They are both vulnerable to exploitation. The poor people that shop there can’t really shop anywhere else because wal-mart’s price or within their budget. The poor people that work there can’t get a job much place else because of maybe their educational background. Both groups are between a rock and a hard place in a sense. Nowhere to go but up because they are at the bottom.
ReplyDelete2.Walmart employees and shoppers are more than half of woman.The things that they have in common is their low income salaries.Like the workers the customers is also struggling to make ends meet.A significant negative relationship between median household income and walmart presence in the market.The tremendous dedt is received by the employees giving good service.
ReplyDelete4. What is Featherstone's purpose in writing this essay?
ReplyDeleteFeatherstone’s purpose in writing the essay is to inform readers of the ills of Wal-Mart, specifically to its female customers and employees. Featherstone also illuminates readers to the strategies Wal-Mart employs in its practices. By explaining and decoding why so many people are still loyal to Wal-Mart, Featherstone can then provide solutions to these problems. Featherstone also encourages her readers to organize and fight the corporate giant.
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ReplyDelete3. According to Featherstone boycotting Wal-Mart will not work because there are too many low income people who need to shop at Wal-Mart. Too many people can’t afford to shop any were ells and don’t won’t too. The facts that a person can walk out of Wal-Mart with more loaded bags then they would ells were is too good for any low income families to walk away from. If these people are seriously impacted by Wal-Mart and their actions then they should take action in a different way. An alternative to boycotting should be enforcing everyone who is against shopping at Wal-Mart to speak up.
ReplyDelete3. According to the author, why will boycotting Wal-Mart not work? What punitive strategy should be used instead?
ReplyDeleteBoycotting Wal-Mart will not work. Someone who only has $15,000 a year to live on has no other choice but to shop at Wal-Mart. From firsthand experience I know this to be true. A few years back I watched a documentary on how Wal-Mart does not take care of their employees and how it affects communities. I swore off shopping at Wal-Mart ever again, but it didn’t last. First off, I can’t even remember the reasons that CNBC pointed out that I thought were wrong. I have a feeling most Americans have the same attention and memory span as I do. Secondly, money is money. I’m not poor and I’m not rich but who wants to pay more than we have to? The punitive strategy needs to come from the government not from the public.
3)According to the author, why will boycotting Wal-Mart not work? What punitive strategy should be used instead?
ReplyDeleteWell the reason why boycotting Wal-Mart would'nt work is because shoppers save more money shopping at Wal-Mart. So obviously people arent goin to pass that up. A more affective technique would probably be a sitin or a protest at least that would send the message out better an you can still shop at Wal-Mart, but the effect would have a nation wide argument and everyone knows all businesses hates bad publicities.
2. From what I understand all Wal-Mart employees and shoppers have many things in common with each other. One such thing is that the majority of shoppers and employees are women. Also Wal-Mart employees and the customers who shop there share that fact that they both have a low-income. Featherstone states, the “tremendous debt Wal-Mart owes women”. I believe the debt these women are owed is for all the hard work, enthusiasm and care they show for their job despite the discrimination and abuse Wal-Mart pots them through.
ReplyDelete6. Featherstone’s thesis is that Wal-Mart refuses to be unionized and that Wal-Mart is turning their employees into victims with all of the harsh and unlawful things that they do. She does not state this directly, but with her arguments and key points help defend it. She lists all of the things that Wal-Mart does to their employees and the effects that it has on the people and the communities. She gives examples and quotes from former employees and she provides the reader with statistics for every argument that she makes.
ReplyDelete3. One thing I know about business, is never to get to much involve if it doesn’t concern you. A boycott? Against Wall-Mart? Would it really work? “NEVER.” Simply because the majority of its shoppers are females and these females are lower class citizens. Why would you go against something that helps you saved money? That’s why a boycott won’t work. It’s the 21st Century, and is women really being discriminated or taken any less? No. If that was the case I would have to say woman wanted to be treated different, paid equally, but work less than male workers.
ReplyDelete5. Does Featherstone anticipate her audience to be friendly, hostile or neutral? What evidence in the text is there to support your opinion?
ReplyDeleteFeatherstone anticipates her audience to be friendly. This is indicate by the very first line of the piece where she refers to Wal-Mart’s critics as enjoying schadenfreude at Wal-Mart’s disappointing sales. Featherstone’s tone is subtly argumentative, and she does not attack Wal-Mart customers, but rather sympathizes with their need to shop at Wal-Mart.
3.Boycotting will not work; every business knows that woman love's to shop. Its not only American woman ,but woman all over the globe are shop alholic's. Wal-mart is not the problem if they close, the woman will just turn to k-mart and shop.A customers saves 20-25 percent by buying groceries at wal-mart,poor woman needs those saving.Jobs today are hard to come by,so the 8$ that wal-mart offers is a giving if you have a family to supply for.
ReplyDelete4)What is Featherstone's purpose in writing this essay?
ReplyDeleteShes making an argument about Wal-Mart and its pros and cons, mostly cons. And too inform us of Wal-Marts unfair practices and lack of benefits for the workers and the shoppers as well.She puts lots of informitive stuffs about Wal-Mart i think she intends to make Wal-Mart lose business but I am not completely sure yet.
2. Wal-Mart shoppers and empolyees have in commom is they both are on a budgets, what goods for low prices, many are from low- income families. Many workers shop at Wal- Mart beforce, working at Wal- Mart.Many people grew up shopping at Wal- Mart.Featherstone's believes Wal-Wart workers which are mostly women should be treated better, because they work very hard to help customers. Wal- Mart treats them very unfair.
ReplyDeleteFor question 3, I believe the best way to manage or approach the situation in the concerns of women is to have meetings. Gather female colleagues to write letters, and press conference with local news, demand the right to treated equality, to be looked and paid equally. Play hardball with these big businesses, because even the little guy has something to say!
ReplyDelete3.) Boycotting will not work for driving huge corporations such as Walmart out of business. The reason for that is because once again walmart sets up most of their stores and in Poverty stricken areas where women especially shop at work to make ends meet. The only punishment I recommend that you directly attack their cooperate districts make your voice heard in public.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the author, why will boycotting Wal-Mart not work? What punitive strategy should be used instead? Boycotting Walt-Mart will not work because a customer saves 20-25 percent by buying groceries at Walt-mart rather than from a competitor, according to retail analysts, and poor women need those savings more than anyone else. many of the people interviewed made less than 15,000 a year and having a walt-mart is a great thing for them. For many of them they could not treat them self to even Mcdonalds after paying their bills. Walt-mart is the answer to their crisis. Punitive strategies that should be used is for people to speak up. dont be afraid. contact your local congressmen or women to express your feelings about walt-mart. They will listen. If people are seriously impacted by walt-mart's dicrimination they will take further action.
ReplyDelete4. The purpose of this essay is to informed us on how wal-mart treat their employee's.It shows us that they are out to make and take money anyway possible. They under pay because they can,being that the job market is not doing so well they take advantage. The fact that they close a whole store down because of a union is absurbed.It also show us how people still work at their best even at being under paid.
ReplyDelete4. I believe that Featherstone’s purpose in writing this essay about Wal-Mart is to raise awareness of what these workers go through and how they are being treated. Her purpose is to inform the people about what goes on behind the big friendly smiles. One example is locking the doors and do not allow employers to leave when their work hours are done. To encourage people to take action agents it. To stand up for these workers who are too scared to say anything in fear of getting fired.
ReplyDelete4.) The Idea of Featherstone’s writing is to wake people up and open their eyes to this What a great store that walmart truly is.
ReplyDelete4. In truly concern from Featherstone, her purpose to expose WALL-MART is not only for its unusual way to take advantage of many situations, but simply hurting lower class people, or its suppliers, because in deed we do manage to make them billionaire’s world wide. The naked truth of how women are being treated it’s a great way to attack because WALL-MARTS biggest fan are females. If females are aware of the situation they might just rebel against this twilight crime. The overall thesis of only attacking lower class people opens the eyes to many. In a way, our budgets are being tricked and to others, buying more than what you pay for, it’s a deal you can’t refuse.
ReplyDelete2. What do Wal-Mart shoppers and employees have in common? What, according to Featherstone, is the "tremendous debt Wal-Mart owes women?
ReplyDeleteWal-Mart female employees have an understanding of the female shoppers. They feel that they need to help the shoppers with the full extent of their ability. The “tremendous debt Wal-mart owes women Featherstone talking about is the full effort that their women employees put out to help the customer, by doing so they increase the customer satisfaction.
5)Does Featherstone anticipate her audience to be friendly, hostile or neutral? What evidence in the text is there to support your opinion?
ReplyDeleteI think she anticipates her audience to be nuetral because they dont like the working condisions there but there prices make up for it for the customers. The evidence in the text is that she talk about the customers and the workers, Which shows in all of her text and shes trying to reach out for the nuetral people to see what she means when they read this. She trying to make Wal-Mart hated among the neutral people.
What is Featherstone's purpose in writing this essay? Featherstone's purpose in writing this essay is to open the readers eyes on how Walt-Mart treats it employees especially women real horrible. she wants her readers to organize and fight these problems. She states that many people are loyal to Walt-Mart but ways to fix the problems they have with Walt-Mart
ReplyDelete4. Featherstone's purpose in writing this essay is to inform people about the positive and negative parts of Wal- Mart. She states the ways Wal- Mart treats workers, how they are pay, what benefits and no benefits they recevive. Featherstone's essay is to aware people on how big store like Wal- Mart work.
ReplyDelete5.Featherstone is trying to make the audience understanding. She is trying to keep the employees and the shoppers all in one box.The shoppers are mostly low income and the workers are all under paid.It is a statement which says wal-mart knows their customers and know how much they need a discount.It also states that most of the workers are females as well as the shoppers. Women has always been know for their vulnability.
ReplyDelete5.) I believe that the author wants you to feel the way she feels and that’s basically discussed with walmart. She gives us evidence through the text by giving all the cons and no positive points
ReplyDelete1. Featherstone’s thesis is stated. Her thesis defines from one problem to the next, but overall lower class approach bribing them at their lowest needs. This is proofed by her research acknowledging that WALL-MART only put businesses in poor areas. By doing so, people tend to think they are saving buy buying more, but the harsh reality they are paying and spending more than what they would spend at their corner store.
ReplyDelete6. The thesis is implied wal-mart is about wal-mart buisness. If a promblem arise wal-mart handles it at any measure.They are run by strict laws and bow down to nothing.Wal-mart only reach for wal-mart goals and noone comes between that.After reading this article i do not ever want to apply for a job for them.
ReplyDelete1. Though Featherstone makes are many valid arguments. I believe that the most compelling arguments against Wal-Mart are the sex discrimination charges that Wal-Mart faces. Also the argument about how Wal-Mart encourages their employees to collect public assistance. Includes how Wal-Mart provided the info on haw to go about it. The fact that they did this “in the middle the worst state budget crisis in history!” pots a big nail in their coffin.
ReplyDelete5. Does Featherstone anticipate her audience to be friendly, hostile or neutral? Featherstone anticipate to her audience is neutral she whats the readers to know how big store like Wal-Mart get people to what to shop or work there. she rxplains the things workers have to deal with, in order to keep their job. How Wal- Wart allure customers to keep on shopping. The evidence is there because she talk a lot about workers and customers. She back up her story 100%.
ReplyDelete