Social Changes After September 11 example essay topic

Social Changes After September 11, 2001 Social mobility and social change are affected primarily by outside influences. It has been two years since the tragedy of September 11. How our workplace and home lives have changed as a result is settling in to a constant scenario. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attack had a major impact on the American people and the workplace. The domino effect on various economic sectors continues to have a negative result; however, many Americans remain optimistic that we will rebuild - as we always do. The fallout of the terrorist attacks hit the small mom and pop businesses nationwide the hardest.

You will not see these victims on television. Nevertheless, their lives have been shattered, too. Some of these mom and pop businesses have had to lay off their entire staffs. Some have had to close their doors. Some do not even have doors to close anymore.

These were not companies with deep pockets, just deep desires. Survey Results When we are children we dream of becoming a certain person and have a certain career, somewhere we become adults who hold jobs because they provide the income we need and do not necessarily even like our jobs. We asked the individuals who took our survey if they held their job out of necessity to pay bills and live or because it was their dream come true. Most people in or survey acknowledged that they liked their jobs or that it used to be a dream job but an overwhelming majority said they held their job due to necessity. What makes us believe that the world needs a few less dreamers?

As we grow up and evolve socially, we learn more about the importance of money, social status and the reality of how far the dollar goes. At some point, we realize our dreams are not always the most practical reality. This is a social change each individual experience and makes a subconscious choice on what path to choose. In life, some social changes are gradually learned and others happen for no rhyme or reason. Death is the prime example of a social change that no one can ever anticipate all the effects it may have. The events of 9/11 were a tragic social change that we are still recovering from and will continue for quite some time.

We asked people if there were layoffs in their company and if they felt secure in their jobs. The results indicate that about 60% of the individuals we survey said there hade been layoffs since 9/11, however, everyone felt secure in their jobs. The layoffs were extremely hard to endure and left many people concerned for their jobs. Economically we are starting to rebuild so people can now breathe a little easier than they were before. Those who were laid off they experienced many social changes and in some cases extreme changes in their lifestyle. In the recent survey taken by this group, some of those indicators really did not ring true.

In our survey, there were twenty-five subjects. The responses were varied but accurate. Some did not answer certain questions because of lack of information. Three of the questions asked dealt with how much has their work place changed since 9/11.

"Has there been an increase in positions that are being hired since the attack of September 11?" Out of the twenty-five surveyed thirteen said there had been no change while five said additional positions had been created. In these companies, September 11 did not reverse any growth plans to their economic plan. "Has the company invested money on any social events for the employees?" Out of twenty-five surveyed seventeen said yes while just eight said no. Some of those who answered yes to this question believe the companies did this to help the employees become closer on a personal level. They felt that if the employees thought of one another as more than just another body that there would be a greater tendency to take care of each other in cases of emergency.

They also felt that the stress level needed to be mitigated by some means and recreating together seemed to be the answer. "Has there been any downsizing in your organization since September 11?" Twenty-four of the twenty-five individuals surveyed answered with ten saying no and fourteen saying yes. Many of these companies were small companies. The fact that so many of them had no shrinkage in their employee base could show their resolve not to let this affect them.

It, candidly, might not show any indication on the resolve of the individual companies but if it did not then it did show that the economy had some stability to it even after September 11. Terrorist attacks on and since September 11th have stimulated public soul-searching, military and diplomatic responses, and efforts to reform public policy. Both the attacks and responses to them have raised a host of questions about social organization, basic social institutions, how people mobilize amid crises, and how differences of culture and politics shape conflict and cooperation. Practically speaking, what might be the results of the terrorist attacks and the war against terror on the workplace? Unfortunately, one possible effect may be significant loss of worker productivity. Although individual reactions may vary, researchers have identified a common pattern of behavioral, biological, psychological, and social responses among individuals exposed directly or vicariously to life-threatening events.

Typical reactions include: o Behavioral Sleep problems Hyper vigilance Tearfulness Increased family conflicts Social withdrawal o Cognitive Confusion Intrusive thoughts Memory difficulties Decision making difficulty Concentration problems o Physical Tightness in chest Agitation Fatigue Gastrointestinal distress Appetite change o Emotional Shock Anxiety Irritability, anger, rage Sadness, grief, depression Despair, self-doubt The attack on America on September 11th changed our mental landscape regarding how we play, live, worship, and work. We are just starting to recognize the shape and magnitude of these changes and their subsequent impact on the business world. Comments have surfaced indicating people are no longer willing to give as much time at work. They are working fewer weekends and placing more emphasis on their friends and relationships. Before September 11th some companies would come to work that already had some level of security, flash their badge to the guard in the lobby, and go on to their office.

Today, many of these companies have installed metal detectors that the employees must walk through every time they enter the building. They also slide their pocket books and briefcases through an X-ray machine, and if something that person is carrying sets off an alarm, he stands by while a guard passes a metal-detecting wand around his body. For countless workers across the country, this is just one of the ways the workplace has changed since September 11th. The changes are both mundane and profound. The mundane changes often amount to a host of daily inconveniences. Photo ID badges -- and the mandatory wearing of them -- have become commonplace at big companies.

At some offices, dogs sniff for bombs while closed-circuit surveillance cameras watch who enters and leaves the building. However, in another sense, the changes go much deeper, revolving around an unsettling awareness of potential danger. Not only has workers' long-held confidence in the safety of the workplace been shattered, but also every time they come into work they face constant reminders of just how uncertain the world has become. Greater attention to workplace security is, paradoxically, a sometimes-disturbing reminder that we are vulnerable, and for many employees just being on the job now means being on alert. In less than two hours that Tuesday morning on September 11, 2001 -- - the time it took for two symbols of U.S. commerce to collapse -- - the American workplace changed forever. Moreover, not just in the physical realm.

September 11th struck a universal chord: People are rethinking their lives and work, weighing what is important and what no longer matters. Obsessing over status-symbol careers seems almost shallow now. People are looking for rewards beyond just salary. It is the 'life is too short' kind of attitude. In the seven months since September 11th, Americans saw unemployment rise, as more than a million jobs vanished. They have watched Enron and Arthur Andersen -- - two large and admired firms -- - reduced to ethical question marks.

Loyalty is now a liability. September 11th has opened people to explore who they are from a completely new depth. We have shifted into a different kind of society. People are saying it is time to examine who we are, what we do, where we are.

That soul-searching is translating into a quiet, yet profound, movement. Forty-three percent of workers say their businesses were hurt due to September 11th, and 24 percent report increased anxiety in the workplace (Colorado State, 2002). People are switching careers, signing on with nonprofits in unprecedented numbers, starting their own businesses, reconnecting with family or their life's calling or simply bailing out of corporate careers and waiting until something better comes along. The most remarkable characteristic of the post 9/11 workers is a willingness to take risks. The speed with which these risk-takers are moving has caught some trend watchers off guard and put pressure on job market specialists to keep pace.

In September 2000, employment reached its highest level in March 2001. In other words, the attacks did not cause this recession as much as confirm it. We will never know for sure if the economy would have otherwise avoided a contraction, but the point is moot. Changes since August in employment, unemployment, hours, and earnings show quite emphatic evidence of the terrorist attacks of September 11th.

Worsening conditions in some industries present during most of this year continue with some new repercussions. There has been a big drop in the number of jobs, a sharp jump in the unemployment rate and the spread of job market weakness to more services industries, long a bastion of economic strength. After the attacks, more industries were affected with larger numbers of lost jobs. Retailing, transportation and help-supply services have seen the biggest deterioration. Within services, the most significant outright losses were in hotels and lodging, with some smaller losses in recreation and parking garages.

The oddball industries now appear to be healthcare and financial services, both continuing to add jobs. This may be a mild recession in terms of output contraction- but a typical one for workers. Continuing unemployment claims loads have already exceeded the peaks from a decade ago, and the eventual number of jobs lost will probably be larger given the high level of announced layoffs that have yet to be fully implemented. Individual Views Michael S. September 11th changed the way I look at everything including my outlook on my career, working environment, and family life.

Jasmine R. The September 11th terrorist attacks greatly affected my job. I was a junior software analyst for Shared Host Airline Systems, which is owned by Electronic Data Systems. Within the fist few days after the attacks, my colleagues and I scurried around to secure and modify the database accordingly. All projects involving technological advancement were immediately halted. We disabled all mobile electronic ticket machines used for passenger check-in at all airports; curbside check-in terminals were disabled as well. We secured passenger manifest for code share airlines.

Sadly, we could only secure two flights per airline request. The system did not allow global altering for more than two flights at one time. No one had ever envisioned four commercial airliners down in one day. Approximately three weeks after the attacks, I was furloughed.

There was a shift in skill capital because the number of employees in technology and development would be greatly reduced. There was not going to be a need for air travel convenience (i. e., WEB check-in, etc.) in the near future. Those individuals spared in technology have temporarily been demoted to junior systems analysts, and as for the rest of us, we wait to see. Manny G. My world has not changed very much since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

As far as my career, I have not had to make any drastic changes. The only real affect that the attacks have had in my life knows that some of my friends are participating in the military operations in the Afghanistan. My experiences as part of a special operations team while in the military have shown me what the military personnel are going through right now. Other than that, my life has changed very little. Demographic Breakdown from Survey The survey focused on how employees were facing changes and handling challenges in their workplace after the events of 9/11. The demographic part of the survey included gender, age, length of employment, and status of employment.

All survey participants are employed full-time and twenty-five individuals responded. There were fourteen females and eleven males. Breakdown of Male and Female Age Ranges Number of Males Number of Females Age Range 1 4 18-29 5 5 30-39 2 4 40-49 3 1 50-59 Breakdown of Years of Service in Workplace Number of People in Response Years in Workplace 8 1-5 years 9 6-10 years 3 11-15 years 2 16-20 years Since 9/11 there has been major downsizing all over the country, the survey includes the percentage of downsizing in organizations since 9/11. All the employees that participated in the survey have experienced organizational changes in their companies, either by company downsizing, relocation, or going out of business. Many companies in the airline industry such as United Airlines, American Airlines, and US Air were downsizing by laying off thousands of their employees in an attempt to lower their expenses and avoid bankruptcy while Corporate America was not traveling as often prior to 9/11.

Other employers have decided to relocate to another state where business taxes are low. Others relocated to a foreign country such as India and Pakistan where employee wages are a fraction of what they are in the United States. One very important question that most people have asked after 9/11 is have these terrible events affected the way we say goodbye to our families. The answer to this particular question was interesting because most people would expect the majority to answer yes but that did not occur. Many citizens are very optimistic about what happened, putting the past behind them and looking forward to a brighter future.

Other people were touched by the events, expressed their appreciation to their family members and loved ones more often than they did before 9/11. Breakdown of the percentage of downsizing in the workplace. Number of People in Response Percentage of Downsizing 6 Unknown 3 Small % 3 20% 2 50% The evaluation of whether there was a difference in saying goodbye to family members. Number of People in Response A difference in saying goodbye 11 Said no 14 Said yes

Bibliography

Colorado State University Cooperative Extension (2002, March 4).
Workforce Quick Facts. Successful Employment Transitions. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: web Schaefer, R. (2002).