Critical Analysis Of Fence Line : A Company Town Divided

August Wilson did not name his play, Fences, simply due to the melodramatic actions that take place in the Maxson household, but rather the relationships that bond and break because of the “fence”. The “fence” serves as a structural device because the character's lives are constantly changing during the construction of the fence. The dramatic actions in the play strongly depend on the building of the fence in the Maxson’s backyard. Fences represents the metaphorical walls or fences that the main characters are creating around themselves in order to keep people in or vice versa. The title may seem straightforward, but in actuality it is a powerful symbol which can either have positive or

The area where Rollins Environmental Services Incorporated is located is known as Cancer Alley because it is one of the most toxic areas in the country with residents claiming a host of numerous health conditions. Cancer Alley is the 107 mile stretch along the Mississippi River that runs between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. African American composed 98.9 of those residents. Cancer Alley alone has over 150 environmental hazards and waste dumps. More than 60 percent of these waste dumps are located in or near communities that are predominantly people of color. In fact, Louisiana has tax exemptions and business friendly policies for business who want to relocated to Cancer Alley. Many companies move their operations to Cancer Alley to take advantage of business friendly standards and policies. The people of color in Louisiana do not have a lot of political and social power and are unable to challenge the ways in which their communities were being changed that take a relaxed view of environmental standards and health issues. Most of the time the people who live in these areas are not aware that their illness is coming from the toxic waste that these waste dumps produced, nor are they aware of the creation of these waste dumps in their communities. For example, Mary McCastle, who is a resident of Alsen, Louisiana

From this film, the key points that were mentioned about how socioeconomic backgrounds and race impact one’s health is something that is not as emphasized as it should be in the public eye. Especially how health and wealth are intertwined with each other is particularly frustrating since health should be a human right and people should receive the health they need regardless of their economic

Dylan and I walked up to the fence, and looked at it. We exchanged a look of uncertainty as we recalled all of the stories we had collected since we were young. The scariest one I can remember is one that my grandpa told me, of course, this is coming from the guy who told us the girl next door could fly, but still, it creeped me out. The story started like this, Two girls went missing one day. It was said that they were going into the forest to see if all the rumers they heard were true. After 7 days of them not returning, their boyfriends followed them in there. Being brave, they quickly jumped the fence. They came back but had nothing, except that their clothes were torn and tattered. It took a while to realise it, but

In “Disproportionate Siting” author Dorcetta Taylor discusses the common claims of unequal exposure to environmental hazards being due to racial and class discrimination (33). Taylor states, “Proponents of this thesis argue that hazardous facilities are disproportionally located in minority and low-income areas and that these patterns are the result of discrimination” (33). In regards to racial and social class discrimination, she argues that the claim of racism is the more controversial of the two with many scholars arguing on both sides (Taylor, 34). She then delves into different studies that argued that race was a factor in explaining location of and exposure to environmental hazards (Taylor, 35). Taylor then discusses the studies that

Case studies allow for in-depth explorations of nuanced topics in real situations. They are especially useful in obtaining insight on specific issues or situations in their natural environment. Specifically, in critical health studies we are able take different models and theories and apply them to real situations to better understand the nuances behind them. In case studies, critical reflections are a necessary tool. Critically reflecting on an issue or topic allows for the heart of the issue to be viewed from a different lens, integrating different models and theories from those originally shown. With this in mind, the intent of this paper is to critically analyze how applying the disciplinary perspective of health psychology and a behavioural model of health would change the health insights in the film Fence line: A Company Town Divided.

The epidemiologist Ana Diez-Roux points out that conditions that affluent neighborhoods take for granted that promote better health include clean air, water and living space. When one looks at county maps showing poverty, education, asthma and diabetes rates in Richmond and they are are laid on top of one another, patterns emerge that show that these afflictions are usually due to the poor living on top of or next to a toxic waste dump. An example of this in Unnatural Causes is the Laotian Gardens that is next to a shut down car battery factory and toxic

In Shreveport, LA, many residents suffer from respiratory issues that they believe are caused by the local refinery, Calumet (Moskowitz). Residents have suffered for generations losing family members to cancer that they believe is brought on by pollution that the refinery emits. Some residents suffer lesser but chronic health issues ranging from minor respiratory issues like asthma to blood clots in their lungs. “Calumet denies that its refinery is the cause of any of these health issues” (Moskowitz). Many chemicals that are released by refineries can cause respiratory problems, cancer, nerve damage, and in some cases even death. There is no absolute way to be sure that all health problems happening near Calumet are caused by the pollution that it emits, but it could be a contributing factor in worsening symptoms. A resident of Marrero, LA, a town south of Norco refining, stated that they could not leave their house due to excess levels of pollution triggering asthma attacks (Ludwig). Sulfur dioxide is a known chemical that can trigger asthma attacks, it is also one of the many harmful chemicals that can be released by refineries (Sturgis). Refineries will measure levels of emissions when there is a chemical spill, so they know almost exactly how much pollution they have emitted. Minor incidents are not always reported or are under reported, but they can have the same damaging effects on the environment and the overall health of the community (Sturgis). “LABB’s reports confirms what workers and residents have known for years-petrochemical companies to often skirt the laws for reporting serious incidents”

The social ecological framework was presented in class as providing many possible avenues for research and program implementation.  Using the required readings and lectures, write about the pros and cons of a social ecological framework for understanding health behaviors and designing health promotion programs. Your analysis should lead to a conclusion about the framework.

This neighborhood is very culturally diverse and has a wide range of ages. There are both young and older families living in their neighborhood. Some aspects of the community that could affect resident's health are air pollution, aging populations, and noise disturbances. According to Health People 2020 leading health indicator for this population is environmental hazards. Some populations are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards. As a result, health disparities exist. Exposures to environmental

The article on “NAACP Report Reveals Disparate Impact of Coal-Fired Power Plants” talks about how coal pollution from the coal-fired power plants will negatively impact the environment surrounding it, including the population in the surroundings, and the harm it will bring upon them. It suggests that Americans that reside near a coal power plant has a lower average income than most of the Americans in the nation. Furthermore, it also pointed out that 39% of Americans that live near a coal power plant are “people of color”. This article claim that coal pollution from the coal power plant is killing population that has a low income and people of certain races. According to the article, climate change is also a negative impact brought on by coal

The town of Mossville, Louisiana, serves as a prime example of community resilience a bit closer to home. Mossville is rural community of predominantly low income African American citizens. Within a two-mile radius of the town lie over 30 petrochemical and industrial plants which release thousands of pounds of carcinogens like benzene, ethylene dichloride, vinyl chloride, and dioxin—a persistent organic pollutant recognized as “the most toxic substance known to science,” into the community (Martin 2010), transforming this town into a sacrifice zone. According to Professor White’s lecture on vulnerability, a sacrifice zone can be defined as a geographical area of predominantly low income and minority communities that has been permanently impaired by environmental damage or economic disinvestment (White 4/24). The water and air contamination from the corporations have caused myriad adverse health effects throughout the community, including reproductive problems, hormone disruption, cancer, and impaired physical and cognitive development in children (Martin 2010). In 1988, a federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found that the blood of Mossville residents contained a level of dioxin three times higher than the national average (Martin 2010). The town of Mossville is an example demonstrating the adverse effects big

Hazards and pollutants are apparent in a variety of outcomes. Possible outcomes include asthma, cancer and chemical poisoning (Gee and Payne-Sturges 2004: 1647). Furthermore, “Although debated, the main hypothesis explaining these disparities is that disadvantaged communities encounter greater exposure to environmental toxins such as air pollution, pesticides, and lead” (Gee and Payne-Sturges 2004: 1647). Therefore, disadvantaged groups, such as people of color and the poor, experience greater environmental risks. Additionally, “Blacks in particular are exposed to a disproportionate amount of pollution and suffer the highest levels of lead and pesticide poisoning and other associated health problems” (Jones and Rainey 2006: 474). People of color, essentially, compete to live healthily. For example, African-Americans and Africans alike, struggle with the negative affects of oil refineries and unresponsive governments. The same can be said for Hispanics in California and the natives of Ecuador, who are forced to cope with the pollution of the Texaco oil refineries (Bullard 2001: 4). Environmental racism not only exploits natural resources, it abuses and profits from the communities involved. Governments and polluting facilities will continue to capitalize on the economic susceptibilities of poor communities, states, nations and regions for their “unsound” and hazardous operations (Bullard 2001: 23).

The Ecological Model of Health, sometimes also called The Social-Ecological Model, is one of the main models and theories that underpin the practice of health promotion. Defined by the Institute of Medicine as "a model of health that emphasizes the linkages and relationships among multiple factors (or determinants) affecting health”, that ecological framework is based on the premise that no single factor can fully explain the variations, the prevalence and the complexity patterns of diseases, as they are the result of a dynamic interaction of several varied determinants.

Millions of people… were murdered because of their race; because they were who they were. This happened in our time; it must not happen again. These were the first lines of the The World at War, Volume 20: Genocide movie that was watch in class. These were the lines that have stuck with me throughout the term, more importantly the ending lines “..it must not happen again.” The last few words, of almost pleading, make the viewer pay attention and learn of what happened because knowledge of these horrible events will prevent from repeating. This is what English 330 has been doing by studying text and watching movies. Most have the same concept, a first person view, from a Jewish man, who goes through an concentration camp. All except two: Schindler 's List and Europa Europa. Schindler’s list and Europa Europa both show what it was like on the other side of the fence, meaning the main male characters were affiliated with Nazis in someway. The difference is Shindler is a german man whose main goal, in the beginning, is wealth. As for Solomon, the main character of Europa Europa, he is a Jewish teen, who tricks others to believe he is a german, and through unusual circumstances, he is enrolled in a Nazi Youth School. What makes this film stand out compared to the others is the fact Solomon is a teen, thus the viewer is able to have a idea of what it was like living in Nazi Germany as an teenager. The movie introduces viewers to concepts that many do not know about such as Mein