Part A
The industrial beef processing industry has affected several towns located in the American Midwest. Research indicates that Postville is the most affected town. The effects are two-fold: active and adverse. Before immigrants infiltrated the Agri-processors and the meatpacking factory, Postville was coping exemplarily with its economic progress and cultural diversity. However, after immigrants infiltrated the town, the population has continued to shrink drastically. In fact, some homeowners claim that they have experienced some negative value changes in their homes. The latter issue is not pertinent to Portville alone. Rather, it is widely experienced across different small cities in this particular region.
There is an inherent connection between the food culture in America and other economic and social values, including the industrial beef processing. According to Nanda and Warms, at the core of this connection is the demand and supply of labour and products (118). The U.S. food production market has a relatively high demand. However, economic and social issues that can be traced to the 1980s have affected the labour that facilitates such production. Nanda and Warms suggest that they need to produce enough to satisfy the demand in a previously non-unionized factory, one that did not provide benefits, but attracted immigrant workers (118). They were willing to work harder and for longer hours, irrespective of the low pay and lack of benefits. The American culture, which is fast food-oriented, as well as the portion size, indicates that the demand is very high. As a result, such demand obliges the producers to seek and implement cheap solutions to the benefit of the consumer.
Part B
There are several strategies for “making a living,” which people in contemporary societies can employ. However, some of them may not only be inappropriate for our bodies, but also for the earth. Some of the strategies may involve sitting in front of a computer for longer timeframes. According to BBC, a young man from New Zealand developed deep vein thrombosis, which was widely associated with long periods of exposure to a computer as well as low physical inactivity (par. 2). Furthermore, BBC revealed that the student developed a substantial blood clot in his vein. With time, the clot broke off and was transported to the lungs.
Apparently, individuals who earn their living by spending long hours working on their computers harm their bodies. The effects to the society come in the sense that, if more people succumb to disease conditions such as vein thrombosis, then, the society loses important human resources. Every individual represents a unique talent. If these talents are managed properly, the world will develop more efficiently. However, if people die or are physically handicapped due to maladaptive lifestyles, the world is not likely to benefit. Instead, crucial human resources and talents that can help in developing various sectors of the economy are lost.
I can see similar challenges or problems in the way I think. For example, during my leisure time, I like being glued to the computer screen. If I am not doing research, I am busy using different social media platforms to communicate with friends and relatives. In some cases, I spend up to eight hours glued to my computer. When using this technology, I hardly engage in any physical activity because I perceive any movement as a hindrance to my computer experience. Indeed, such behaviours indicate that I am making wrong and dangerous lifestyle choices.
Works Cited
BBC. Health threat from computer use. Jan 28, 2003. Web. March 30, 2016. From:<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2698119.stm>
Nanda, Serena, and Richard Warms. Cultural anthropology. New York: Cengage Learning, 2010.
