loving art, science and creative kids
3/27/2016 1:18:22 AM
My son at the Hong Kong Science Museum using his energy to make things work.
Last week’s newsletter focused on the plight of 32 million illiterate Americans. I explained how those neglected during childhood often suffer brain impairments that cause societal problems later. For the first time in many years these forgotten citizens have caught the attention of politicians. The subject of jobs and pay equity has come to the forefront of their platforms. It is important to note that illiteracy is not to be confused with intelligence. Though one may impact the other, there is not an absolute correlation. Many factors come into play when considering intelligence, including where your were born, the socio economic position of your family, how education is valued, determination to succeed, and the quality of training you receive as you go through the school system. Testing has played both a good and a divisive role by categorizing people.
IQ tests were started in 1904 when when the French government commissioned Alfred Biney to design a system to help identify intellectually normal children from those who were more challenged. Mensa’s IQ scale is as follows:
Intelligence People in each category
below 55 .1 %
55-70% 2 %
70-85 14 %
85-100 34 %
100-115 34 %
115-129 14 %
130- 145 2 %
145 + .1 %
Of interest: Einstein’s IQ was 160; Madonna - 140; Steve Martin - 142; Sharon Stone - 154; Arnold Schwarzenegger & Matt Damon - 135; Bill Gates -160; Adolph Hitler -141; Bobby Fischer 187; Bill Clinton 137; Paul Allen 170
Other tests were developed to evaluate factors that are not apparent on the standard IQ test. Howard Gardner, proposes his theory of multiple intelligence that tests for other intelligent factors such as:
Kinaesthetic - Body Smart
Linguistic - Word Smart
Logical - Number Smart
Interpersonal - People Smart
Intrapersonal - Myself Smart
Musical - Music Smart
Visual/Spatial - Picture Smart
Naturalistic - Nature Smart
No one wants to label others and say they are not capable of succeeding. However, just as it helps be aware of circumstances surrounding how you were raised, there is benefit in knowing your intelligence strengths when choosing a career.
There are those who take exception to these tests, warning that because culture and literacy affect outcomes they should not be depended on by educators or employers in determining whether to admit a student to university or to make a job offer. Some teachers have concerns that children labeled less intelligent at a young age will be stigmatized throughout life. On the positive side are those who use results to individualize instruction.
My interest, however, is centered on jobs, rather than intelligence. I want to know if there is a correlation between intelligence and future employment opportunities. Since millions of citizens take these test there is a lot of data to support results. It is reasonable to assume that the general population falls into a normal distribution curve. There will always be people at the low and high ends. Tag programs and challenging jobs are available to those at the upper levels of the spectrum. They are the fortunate group.
It is the normal range of the IQ scale that spawns so many angry people at political rallies because their employment opportunities have become limited. To this you might counter by saying, for those who are motivated to get trained, there are still plenty of opportunities. Streetwise is a good example of a young man who spent four years as an apprentice, journeying out to become an industrial painter with a job that will provide a good salary for the rest of his life. I wonder how many of jobs in the trades are available for willing workers?
And what happens to those millions of citizens who have an IQ under 85? In the United States 16.03 percent fall in this range. According to the 2016 Census estimation the nation’s population this March was 324,118,789. This means that 52,831,362 people are categorized as being intellectually challenged. These men and women certainly can work, but they may need special accommodation that includes increased supervision.
Another 110,200,388 people have IQs in the low average category (85-100). By definition, half the people of the country have an IQ of 100 or lower. What will keep these people inspired and willing to put in the effort to learn to read and develop skills leading to employment?
Post WWII a person who was of average intelligence could find honorable, well-paying work . Today the jobs they previously filled are scarce. They have either been sent overseas, supplanted by automation, replaced by technology or become obsolete. In my neighborhood even the trash collectors have gone from two people manning a truck to one. As the employment chain requires more highly skilled personnel even those with over 110 IQ such as paralegals, tax preparers, mid-level managers and desk top publishers are being replaced by software.
Economists say that a highly trained, technologically sophisticated workforce is in our future. According to Jobs for the Future, 68% of U.S. jobs will require postsecondary credentials in the knowledge based world of 2020. This brings us back to the question of what will people with average intelligence and inadequate training do to support themselves.
I’ve heard suggestions that range from, “all people should automatically get paid for doing nothing,” to “the government must provide make-work programs to keep citizens busy and out of trouble.” And then there are those who ask, “why should I support those lazy bums?” We need a conversation. When will it start?
Are you tired of people living on the streets, of gang violence, of an illiterate populace, of lack of jobs, and of gross income disparity? Or do you see a future of armed, walled-in cities, such as now exist in China to protect the fortunate from the rest of society? I visited one outside of Guangzhou. Known as villas they house 1/2 to 1 million people in luxury. The gated areas are complete with shopping centers, restaurants, schools and hospital. Women and children never leave their compounds. Men go off to run their factories.
A 2011 Gallop survey proclaims nine countries claim to have full employment. In each case their government is involved in controlling working conditions. Some limit work hours while other have initiated public work programs. My ex-husband returned from an engineering consultancy job in India where the owners asked him to help design a more efficient factory. In private conversations the workers complained. They needed jobs, not efficiency and automation.
There is a bible saying that warns, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” The passage implies that those who don’t have anything to do with their time are more likely to get into trouble. Sounds reasonable to me and I fear that many of the problems we face in the United States are directly related to inactivity without sense of purpose. Isn’t it also reasonable for a person of average intelligence to be valued and provided an education and training with a guarantee that there is something useful to do at the end?
I look for solutions that will give all people meaningful employment so they can be part of contributing to the greater good. I do believe that it can be done if we make benefiting society and not accumulating wealth our priority.
Your thoughts?
Please respond to this article on my blog.
References
http://www.i3mindware.com/mensa-requirements- Mensa IQ testing.
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/what.cfm - test for multiple intelligence
https://iq-research.org/en/page/average-iq-by-country - IQ by country
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population/ - Population of the U.S. in 2016
http://www.jff.org/initiatives - Jobs for the future.
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2012/04/25/nine-countries-where-unemployment-does-not-exist/2/ - Countries with the highest employment rates.
http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/most-shocking/10-famous-people-with-surprisingly-high-iqs/ - IQs of the rich and famous.
To view my art go to eichingerfineart.com. Questions can be directed to me at [email protected].
For sale on Amazon by Marilynne Eichinger: The True Story of Streetwise, overcoming homelessness and beating the odds. Go to AMAZON .
3/19/2016 10:15:00 AM
Nurturing
43 in. by 84”/ gold frame/ acrylic/mixed media / $ 1,100
Just as we need to care for the environment, we must nurture our citizens. Societies that do not value all lose freedoms and become ripe for autocratic control. They spawn violence, vulgarity and criminal behavior.
Politics of the Uneducated
Do you wonder why so many angry, cursing, ready to fight people are jumping into the political arena this year? What is happening and where does this impolite behavior come from? I never believed it was such a prevalent part of our culture. Donald Trump said proudly after one of his rallies, “Don’t you just love the uneducated!” Though in context he implied that he loves everyone, his comment made me think about the uneducated making decisions for me and I don’t like the thought.
According to Ruth Marcus syndicated Washington writer, Trump’s backers tend to be less well-educated and less affluent. In the past they were apathetic about politics yet this year they run in droves to join Trump’s bandwagon. He primarily appeals to those who are white, dislike African-Americans and Muslims, want a hands-off government and a country that practices isolationism. Like those who who join with Bernie they complain of trade treaties that take jobs overseas. They want manufacturing to return to American soil and expect to be hired for a fair wage. I am not so sure about that wish, and imagine frugal entrepreneurs will substitute automation for labor if they do return. The poorly educated would like to rid the country of illegal immigrants, yet I question their willingness to go into the fields to pick strawberries and apples.
What happens when a society has an overabundance of uneducated people and not enough available jobs for laborers? How should our politicians address this situation? You be the judge. Bear with me as we wade through a few statistics.
The nation’s graduation rate is currently at 82.3 percent. This is an improvement from the 72 percent rate in 2001 yet the statistic is misleading. Some communities still have 50 percent of their students never graduate from high school. Race and poverty are the most significant factors influencing drop outs. Oregon is one of the worst states with 31 percent of students leaving before getting a degree. 15 other states are nearly as bad. 1000 schools in the U.S. are labeled drop out factories representing one million failing students.
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (known as the Nation’s Report Card), though graduation rates are higher, performance is lower. The Huffington Post reports that the U.S. illiteracy rate hasn’t change in ten years. 32 million adults in the U.S. cannot read. That number represents 14 percent of the population. 19 percent of high school graduates are functionally illiterate. What future is there for these youth? What kind of employment opportunities do they have? Would you hire them? Does a high school diploma have the same benefits as it did years ago?
Those without a degree cannot serve in the military. They cannot fill the skilled jobs that our economy depends on. US News predicts that, “the manufacturing labor market, which supported a vibrant middle class at the end of World War II, is never coming back.” Jobs in health care, social assistance and technology will grow, construction stay the same, and mining, manufacturing, and logging will continue to decrease. So what happens to the uneducated?
The Department of Justice states that, "The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure.” The uneducated are more likely to engage in criminal behavior, require social services, live on the streets, have poor health and die younger. Much of their current situation has to do with traumatic childhood experiences. They grew up in poverty with inadequate food and neglectful caretakers. They were subjected to verbal abuse and put-downs (You’ll never amount to anything!), violence, and early exposure to drugs and alcohol. They may have been sexually molested, treated as slaves, become pregnant as a teen or thrown out of the house because of LGBT affiliation.
Research I have read about trauma and its effect on the brain shows that youth raised in stressful environments often exhibit signs of impaired brain development. These young people suffer from a lack of trust, have problems regulating emotions and feel the world to be unsafe. In the classroom they are the spaced-out, daydreamers who don’t pay attention. They lose track of time and have little interest in learning, occupying seats until graduation gives them freedom. Impulsive behavior replaces rational thought and their actions are unpredictable, volatile and extreme. They grow up feeling powerless in the face of adversity and act defensively and aggressively. These are the uneducated. Do they seem like characters in “Lord of the Flies,” rather than kind compassionate citizens? It is these men and women who are attending political rallies in record numbers. They heed the call to punch those who oppose their viewpoint. And yet though they act poorly, they are also crying out for a better future. Their actions are making Americans pay attention. But how do we respond with jobs and housing for so many disaffected citizens who live in poverty?
There are consequences to neglecting this group of citizens, and election speeches are raising many issues that have not come to the forefront of past campaigns. Let’s look at them.
Should wealth be in the hands of a few or many? Do we need to increase our defense budget? Should we pay more attention to education or get rid of the Department of Education? ( remember that more kids are graduating now.) Should cursing, violent movies and videos continue to be plastered on TV and Internet without concern for morality? Is it OK to supersede the melting pot ideal by hatred and isolation? Are guns and drugs the norm for all time in the future? Is the environment as important as the economy? Should we applaud efficiency and let robots replace the uneducated or are jobs more important? Do we limit population so we can afford to care for those who exist? Do we want beggars and the homeless on or off the streets if it costs tax payers money? Do we continue to put record numbers of the mentally ill and those who commit crimes in prison for long years without rehabilitation? Do we keep out those with whom we disagree or do we bring them into our country to teach them our ways?
You decide!!!!
Art work is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected].
Please comment on my blog site below.
References:
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/12/15/459821708/u-s-high-school-graduation-rate-hits-new-record-high- NPR Education Report.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/illiteracy-rate_n_3880355.html - Literacy rates
http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2012/09/10/the-future-workforce -workforce of the future. __________
The True Story of Streetwise by Marilynne Eichinger is a personal and poignant tale of one man's struggle to overcome homelessness after living on the streets for four years. It can be purchased as an e book on AMAZON.
3/11/2016 2:27:22 PM
The Grand Canyon
29” by 35” / Acrylic, Gold Frame/ $ 799
The beauty of the Grand Canyon is overwhelming. I was there recently on a snowy day which added to the contrasting shadows and colors.
Escape from Market-Speak
The political wrangling for president has just begun and already I am tired of market- speak. One candidate wants revolution while another prefers walled-in isolation. One plans to bring jobs back, in part by lowering salaries while another shouts, raise the minimum wage! And I hear. . . get rid of Obamacare . . . transform it . . . replace it with a single payer system; Free community college for all . . . improve education . . . eliminate the Department of Education. “I love the uneducated,” says one. Wall Street is bad . . . billionaires are bad . . . businessmen are good . . . billionaires deserve all . . . politicians are weasels (but,mine is OK). What a surprise . . . the poor feel angry and neglected. Then there is . . . She’s a bitch, he has a big penis, he can’t be trusted, she’s a liar, he waffles. He’s a religious fanatic . . . look, an atheist, and see the bigot. Bring on the guns . . . build defense . . . reduce the military . . . negotiate . . . make deals. We’re Americans and live in the greatest country on earth, but need to be great again. Respect us, fear us, personal freedoms are passé, waterboarding is in. . . bomb the hell out of them. Go to rallies. Yippee!!! a fight!! What fun!
What fun? You’ve got to be kidding. This year’s scary rhetoric makes me want to escape from news broadcasts and television debates. Where to go?
Last January I revisited the Grand Canyon and was reminded that nature provides the best escape route. The view was beautiful, breathtaking, and expansive. Daily concerns disappeared as I meditated on the millions of years it took to carve such a natural sculpture. The air was still pure and the view unobstructed. It’s silence enabled me to hear my own heartbeat underneath the rustling of wind on nearby trees.
We the People deserve to have the Grand Canyon as a National Park as much as we do Yellowstone, the Everglades and Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. What right do ranchers and militia groups have to take away what the people own for the private benefit of a few. Americans need places to go that remind us that we are of nature and have a relationship to all that live in the natural world. As we destroy much of our planet, those few areas that are set aside for contemplation are increasingly more valuable for they bring us back to reality. It is not the words of politicians that matter most, but the actions of our citizens as good stuarts of the land. In nature we are no longer self-center but reminded of our connection to every tree, particle of air and movement of water.
This year, as much as possible, I plan to breathe the stillness and soak in the beauty of the woods, lakes and oceans. For it is there that I will find my peace.
Art is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected].
______________________
For sale on Amazon by Marilynne Eichinger: The True Story of Streetwise, overcoming homelessness and beating the odds. Go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AAXMJOG
3/4/2016 1:27:28 PM
The Gossips
12” by 36” / Acrylic Painting / $ 325
If you were a bluebird would you stay safely in your cage? The door is open and you could fly to freedom but on the outside you will be surrounded by loudly cawing black crows more than twice your size. Is it worth the risk to venture forth?
Taking Risks
Most of us accommodate some degree of risk. We drive cars, fly in planes, and commit ourselves to partners. We move, change jobs, ride bicycles and hike on uneven surfaces. We observe politicians take huge risks by running for president, watch soldiers enlist for battle not knowing if they will survive and are in awe of Mt. Everest climbers. Just how risk is invited into our lives has a lot to do with childhood upbringing, physical strength and genetics.
Last week I discussed two types of brains and mentioned that mine is over-stimulated ,which indicates that I am more likely to stay away from jumping out of airplanes or going on roller coasters rides than an under-stimulated brain that impulsively seeks excitement. Adrenaline spikes negatively affected my responses until I learned to control them through mindfulness training.
In my thirties I finally decided that I wanted to have a more adventurous life. To to do this I had to examine my strengths and weaknesses with honesty. Similar to the steps taken by financial planners, I conducted a risk analysis of my personal behavior.
As a youth I was very protected and taught to be cautious. Sheltered by family, I stayed close to home and those I knew. The first time I drove myself from Boston to Amherst, a distance of 93 miles, I was in my mid-twenties. The trip was exhilarating and frightening as I followed a map along strange roads to reach my destination. The pride I felt at arriving in one piece is indescribable.
What enabled me to take this journey? On that occasion my husband was busy and did not have time to take me. My desire to visit my friend outweighed the fear of getting lost or in an accident. This may seem like a small achievement, yet it is one that I remember to this day. The independence I felt provided weight to the risk side of an internal balance scale that previously leaned lopsidedly towards caution and safety.
With newly found courage, my outlook expanded. I repeatedly asked myself, “What is the worst and best thing that could happen by taking xxx risk?” When there was something I wanted to accomplish that was greater than my fears I forged ahead. For instance, I was afraid of fainting when I had to talk before an audience. That happened to me once in fifth grade. Giving speeches to market Impression 5, the museum I started in Michigan, became possible only because my desire to build a science center outweighed my queasiness over public speaking. And so, over the years I slowly improved, but until recently I never analyzed the process of how my emotions evolved to let me take increasingly greater risks.
I watched others engage in activities that I wished I had the courage to do. A friend of mine marched with Martin Luther King at Selma. A 55 year old neighbor traipsed around Europe by herself, sleeping in hostels. My ex-husband rock-climbed and, not wanting to stay alone at home, I too tried it. He also had a knack for engaging foreigners in conversation. I had been taught not to speak to strangers, but rather than do him harm I saw how rich it made his world.
It was when we divorced that I had a most important conversation with myself. I decided that there was no sense spending my life waiting for others to lead the way. By then I had watched enough people to see how it was done. It was time I stood on my own feet, overcome my fears and walk forward towards a new destiny. So, I took a gamble with my money and started the Museum Tour Catalog which I successfully operated for eighteen years. I began traveling alone and learned to love the independence of doing so. I went cross-country skiing by myself at night and for a while faced demons of living alone in a creaking house. Each time I overcome a fear I came closer to my core to learn who I am. With stronger grounding I also became better able to reach out and form warm, loving relationships.
Each of us has our own level of risk aversion, but when we push ourselves to move a bit more than our comfort level we live more fully. In retrospect I am please with how colorful life has been. I am satisfied that anxiety did not keep me from climbing over or around the many boulders placed in my way.
Oregon bluebirds also know that risks are necessary if they want to fly free. After a bit of investigation and conversations with birders, I learned that though there is risk to leaving the cage, it is unlikely that a mature bird will be bothered. Crows prefer to rob nests of eggs and attack baby birds. An adult is quite capable of flying away unharmed.
What level of risk are you willing to take? Is it where you want it to be or does it keep you from engaging in the opportunities desire? Do share your thoughts on my blog site below.
Art is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected].
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Street Kids take risks everyday though they are often unwanted. Discover more by reading The True story of Streetwise, overcoming homelessness and beating the odds. Available for $2.99 as an e-book on AMAZON.
