American Perspective - Essay Example

American Perspective paper Introduction American Perspective paper deals with the changes, which occurred in the American nation in the beginning of the twentieth century and in the need of the nineteenth century. Different social norms were changed and the government took a great care about the public good. It was relevant to take health-protection policies and strategies at the governmental level and the health of the members of the American society was in danger. In the process of industrial development and progressive changes in the country rapid processes of urbanization and industrialization triggered the socialization and shift agricultural concerns of the government to industrial context. Moreover, post-war period imposed challenges on labor market in America. Thousands of lives of American soldiers were lost and there was a need to search for new employees. Environmental and health issues were of the main concern for the American government and similar to the modern policies, the government realized the necessity to contribute much to development of health safety policies in different fields and industries. Question 1 Describe the effects of the horse on urban pollution. What solution was developed to deal with this and how successful was it? In the article “Atlanta Exposition Address” (1895) by Booker Washington the issues of environmental pollution in the 19th and 20th centuries are discussed. The relation between environmental issues and industrial progress of the American society go hand in hand from the beginning of the industrial development of the country. Thus, we can claim that different means of transportation were used by the Americans, but they have always kept in their minds the fact that environment and convenience should not be mutually excluding facts. In other words, when the animal is used as the means of transportation, it is necessary to create appropriate environmental issues and conditions for a proper functioning of this helpful means for a man. Human activities are various and it should be mentioned that to reach heights in industry equals to the art of tilling the field or to writing a poem. A huge pace of industrialization in America has absorbed many other usual activities of people. It was more natural of them to work in the factory than going to the theatre or to the opera, for example. In the article “W.E.B. Du Bois Denounces Washington’s Accomodationist policies” (1903) we can read between the lines that when the country stood on the edge of industrial development, it had to make different challenging choices, such as convenience or animal health; industrial development or agrarian advancement. A horse was a golden mean of mediation between these challenging questions. The following article “Urban Pollution-Many Long Years Ago” by Joel L. Tarr is more detailed in its descriptions about a complicated process of assimilation of horse in the industrial activities of people. It was necessary to efforce a horse from the agrarian nature and force it in the industrial urban nature. The contemporaries draw parallels with environmental hazards imposed by the horse and automobile: we are suffering from exhaust gases and earlier a horse was accused of air contaminants harmful for health. I doubt that the scope of harm is equal between these two means of transport… At the beginning of the twentieth century there was a clear intention to eradicate this harmful animal means of transportation vigorously and create a sounder and more health friendly means of transportation. The “horseless cvarriages” were the embodiment of dreamy ideas of the industrial developers at that time. There was an intention to choose the least of two evils, which was not a horse, but a potential automobile. The streets were full of mud because of the usage of horses as transportation means, and the American cities spent huge amounts of money for cleaning their streets from the horse mud. The epidemic expansion of cholera, smallpox, yellow fever and typhoid were too scaring for the Americans and poor horses were considered to be the sources of these intimidating infections. By the beginning of the twentieth century it was necessary to improve the urban transportation and different regulations were introduced. In the process of rapid development of communities and their geographical expansion increased public concerns about health issues and sanitation norms. Question 1 Discuss the evolution of the regulation of the meat packing industry. What were the driving forces behind this regulation? In the article “Meat Inspection: Theory and Reality” by Gabriel Kolko the challenges of meat industry in America are discussed. Starting from the beginning of the nineteenth century, the American government initiated the policies of meat inspection. The large meat packers developed their policies in order to satisfy the needs of the European market. The Act of 1891 was approved by the European doctors, because packing industry should be developed with regards to health concerns in order to guarantee health safety of meat consumers. The greater part of meat commerce was challenged by the necessity to follow sanitation norms of meat packing industry. In the end of the nineteenth century stricter measures were taken in order to guarantee safety of meat packing in America. There was a need to develop rigid norms of meat inspection. Therefore, in this article the basic concerns of theories of meat packing industry are discussed. During the Progressive Era the regulations on meat packing were developed to a stricter side. In the article “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” written by Meirion and Susie Harries shows the importance of sanitation norms after war. It was too hard to save the lives of soldiers, who came back home from battlefields. Therefore, different industries needed numerous employees but it was rather hard to find them. We can see that government was very much concerned about regulations of meat packing industry. The public good was very much important for the American government. President Roosevelt was focused on meat industry and revolutionary regulations in this field. Big businesses joined their efforts and cooperated with the government in order to promote public good. Gabriel Kolko underlined that meat packing industry and health safety issues are crucial aspects for the government. The big packers favored laws and regulations developed for their industry and considered them to be wise laws, which should be applied universally. There was a need to reach uniformity in their industry. Governmental regulations in meat packing industry are approved because of the following reasons: in case the government plays a role of inspector, it is advantageous for big businesses, because new players are challenged by high taxes and it is hard for them to enter meat industry market. The second benefit can be found in imposing of a fixed cost in the meat industry market. Moreover, it should be noted that the stamp of approval was required for big businesses to enter the European market. The meat producers were afraid of losing trust of their European partners. There was a need to develop import norms for America to sell their meat to the Europeans. Conclusion We can see that introduction of sanitation norms in the meat industry or environmental concerns in the field of transportation were of crucial importance for the American government in the 19th-20th centuries. Therefore, it should be mentioned that human-centered approach reflected in various policies and regulations of the government has led to health improvement of the nation and public good. Read More