Life+and+Times+of+the+21st+Century+(Group+3)

=Life and Times=

Overview
Dear John and Abigail Adams, life in America has greatly changed from the colonial area to what it is today. Today life in the family has changed from a household of maybe ten to a household of around five. The way we practice religion has changed as many families fail to go to church on Sunday. The types of jobs has greatly changed with the new technology and an increase in population. The way we get from point A to point B has also changed from riding a horse to flying in a plane.

Family
The average American family consists of around two to three kids on average. The rate of divorce has greatly increased from when no one got a divorce to about 35% of marriages end in a divorce. The woman in the house hold has gone from watching the kids and taking care of things around the house to having a job and in some house holds the woman doesn't have too cook the man does. The kids have gone from being home schooled or maybe if they are lucky they would get a public education, especially girls. Today almost all kids go to school from when they are 5 to when they are about 18. After school many young adults will go to college and get a degree. The man in the household usually makes a little more than the woman, but in many households the wages are about the same, and in some the woman makes more than the man. Some families are heading away from the traditional family meals, and are going out to eat, or don't eat together like they did in colonial times, when all the family sat down for a meal.

Work
Work has changed a considerable amount from the types and number of jobs to what it is today. In colonial times most of the south and parts of the rest of the colones farmed. They farmed either to produce a cash crop or to produce food for the family. In the northern colonies most people worked in factories. Today there is a much broader job market ranging from burger flipping to stock broking. With the increase of new technology there are a lot more jobs that need to be filled, someone has to manage TV companies, and some one has to deliver the mail. Woman have careers in which most work with men or along side them. In some companies the woman might be the boss of a whole company and may be in charge or hundreds of men. However the better job you get typically is based on the amount of education a person receives. A doctor who can make hundreds of thousands of dollars in a year needs to be educated more than a person who works at a fast food restaurant who makes minimum wage which can be under eight dollars an hour. The average person makes about $30,000 a year. Today there is a great gap in the amount of income a poor person makes and a wealthy one. A person can make as little as $15,000 a year while another can make $15 million in a year.

Religious Practices
Religious Practices have changed from the religions practiced in colonial times to the religions practiced today. Some of the first religions in America where Christian, Protestant, and Quaker. Today the religions can very from Christian to Islam in America. 76% of all Americans call them selves Christians. The number of people who claim they have no religion is increasing. More people watch the super bowl on Sunday than go to church. Feuds between religions seem to be a common theme these days, not so much in America than in the Middle East, but the tension has caused some serious hatred. In the religion of Islam in is admirable for an Islam to kill followers of other religions. This feud is also occurring in Israel, as Palestine and Israel battle over holy lands.

Transportation
The means of transportation has gone from a horse and buggy era to a multi-transportation era. Today people move themselves in many different ways. Most American families have at least one car, while others have over a dozen. Some of the common ways of transportation are automobiles, planes, and trains. As the climate and pollution become more of an issue the government is looking at other means of transportation than just automobiles. Plans are a great means of transportation, but are mostly used for long distant flights across a few states or perhaps around the world. The government is currently looking into increasing rail ways to connect high speed trains from major cities to other cities so less people will have to drive. America's transportation system has had many set backs. The terrorists who attacked on 9/11 used commercial air planes to destroy the twin towers and part of the pentagon. America's transportation needs some re doing as many saw the 35W bridge collapse as a sign that America is getting older.

Technology
Technology has greatly affected how every day America is run and has a huge impact on every body's life. With the invention of the internet and the commercialization of the internet in the 1990's ideas, news, and videos can be shared and spread throughout the world. The internet boom caused a tremendous increase in new technology and how companies are run. Now a person can run a business and even buy groceries via the internet. Another great technology is the cellular phone. Now you can talk to a person half way around the world any where you want, so long as you have service. With technology invented in the mid 20th century, which has been enhanced greatly today, people now have the power to kill every thing in the world and still have enough nuclear weapons to blow it up again. Today we can receive signals from satellites in outer space with our TV's and watch the new as it happens, or watch your favorite show or movie.

References (2009-2010.1.2.C)
"The Competition for Low-Wage Jobs - Room for Debate Blog - NYTimes.com." //News Debate and Analysis - Room for Debate Blog - NYTimes.com//. 18 Mar. 2009. Web. 11 Jan. 2010. . "Googles Market Share Grows and Grows and Grows - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com." //Technology - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com//. 28 Dec. 2007. Web. 10 Jan. 2010. ."The New York Times Log In." //The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia//. 3 Aug. 2007. Web. 10 Jan. 2010. ."The New York Times Log In." //The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia//. 9 Dec. 2008. Web. 11 Jan. 2010. .