After reading about the travels Barbara Ehrenreich took in the book Nickel and Dimed as an attempt to “discover some hidden economies in the world of the low-wage worker” to Florida‚ Maine‚ and Minnesota‚ I have been able to deepen my understanding of the harsh reality people face while working in low income jobs. (Barbara Ehrenreich‚ Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America‚ p. 3) She undertook several different types of low wage jobs such as a waitress‚ hotel housekeep‚ nursing home cook
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I feel that the author of “Nickel and Dimed”‚ Barbara Ehrenreich‚ had ethical intentions when making the decision to investigate “poverty” by emerging herself in the “low-wage lifestyle”. The ethical concern‚ however‚ is with her approach. I feel that the way in which it was conducted could be viewed as degrading to those who do not have an alternative to this way of living. True‚ hopeless poverty does not have those “reassuring limits” that Ehrenreich had the ability to utilize
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Thomas Friedman‚ author of‚ “globalization; the super story‚” erroneously implies in his essay‚ that with the current “integration” and “globalization” (which are terms used to classify a “new industrial revolution” driven by powerful new information and communication technologies)‚ of today’s economy‚ individuals have obtained more power and influence than ever before in history. Specifically‚ the rise of such technologies as the Internet and email‚ have empowered individuals to a new level of
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In Barbara Ehrenreich’s book Nickel and Dimed‚ Ehrenreich explores the dynamics of social stratification by gender in working class America. Similarly to race‚ Ehrenreich shows how gender and gender roles are a part of a closed system in the American workforce. One can first see this early on in the book when Ehrenreich works as a waitress. Ehrenreich describes a dynamic in this work setting in which female workers are subservient to a dominant male manager who is very critical. She mainly shows
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In Barbara Ehrenreich’s book‚ Nickel-and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America‚ she investigates whether welfare reform programs are appropriate in aiding women in poverty and that these institutions will affect their economic and social mobility in the future. Ehrenreich initiated her research in June 1998‚ in the form of participant observation. Her experiment was design allowed her to personally experience the hardships of a worker with minimal skills living on minimum wage. Barbara’s poses as
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Sarah Levy Professor M.Marca English 97 2 December 2008 Shame and Humiliation Nickel and Dimed‚ written by Barbara Ehrenreich has been published in 2001 for the first time. This book explains and describes the condition of the working poor in United States in the 21st century. To write this book the author who is a well-known journalist at the New York Times decides to experience being a low-wage worker for a few months. She gives up her middle class life to become and live as a working poor
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Macro theories: Nickel and Dimed‚ On Not Getting by In America” by Barbara Ehrenreich‚ 2001 1) Barbara was responding to 1996 TANF (5 years) reform that modified AFDC (lifetime warranted) SSI benefits for children or adults with disabilities What jobs available to single mothers? Could single parent live on single income and it was an experiment for Barbara to explore it. Welfare queens by Ronald Reigan Law wanted increase marriages‚ Work force 2) 3) Critical conscientious Symbolic
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Nickel and Dimed Barbara Ehrenreich used her book Nickel and Dimed to illustrate her job assignment to live in the shoes of and‚ write about her experiences as a minimum wage worker in America. Ehrenreich goes to live in Key West‚ Maine‚ and Minnesota and works low wage jobs‚ sometimes more than one at a time. The point Ehrenreich is trying to make is that it is almost impossible to live a decent life in America with one‚ let alone two jobs paying very low wages. It is tough to be a low wage
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Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By In America Novel Project Due: November 14‚ 2014 ALL WORK MUST BE TYPED IN 12” FONT!! Part I You must create a dialectical journal with fifteen (15) entries. I want five (5) entries for each section. I expect a thorough analysis of the devices/strategies identified in the text. Points: 90 Part II Create a monthly budget for a single parent with one child household living in the DMV area making minimum wage. You are to research the necessary information. You
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Research Essay: Nickel and Dimed Looking at the state of low wage workers in America today‚ many are struggling to make ends meet and provide basic needs to themselves and their families. Is this a new situation or just a necessary part of the overall American economic structure? In her book‚ “Nickel and Dimed” (2001)‚ Barbara Ehrenreich steps out of her comfortable‚ middle class existence to find out how the people working in the lowest rung of America’s economy are getting by. Using her sarcasm
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