Abstract The paper describes how BarbaraEhrenreich joined the working poor of Key West. Ehrenreich describes in detail, first hand, the results of American policy reducing the welfare safety net - according to a myth of work producing an end to poverty. The paper analyzes how the world of minimum wage workers is described very well, between the lines, indicating a reality very different from what most Americans would presume. The paper further analyzes how, although many Ehrenreich writes of are women, she does not have a feminist approach. The paper concludes that Ehrenreich has taken care not to be ideological and this is the article's particular strength in describing a certain impossible reality.
From the Paper "Barbara Ehrenreich wrote an expository article on a subject of which far more educated or well-off Americans need to be aware. The article addresses women's reality in so far as many of the people she describes happen to be women. However, a strong aspect of this article is that it does not commence from ideology, or impart more than a few points, here and there, on how Karl Marx might examine the particular sub-culture that Ehrenreich came to know."
Abstract This paper is a critical review of BarbaraEhrenreich's book, "Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By in America". It discusses Ehrenreich's account of her undercover experience as a non-skilled, low-wage worker, and the challenge presented in the book to minimum wage legislation and its perceived benefits. Ehrenreich's interesting assertion that low-wage workers represent the biggest, most philanthropic section of society is also discussed and explained.
From the Paper "Low-wage earners are probably one of the most neglected sections of the American workforce. While minimum wage is a highly controversial subject and often sparks hot discussions in social and political circles, no one is really interested in the lives of the real recipients of this legislation. When an increase is made in minimum wage, the government and others are more concerned about the reaction of the employers instead of the response of the low wage section. This says a great deal about social discrimination and division that prevails in our society and which severely hurts the cause of unskilled workers."
Abstract This paper reviews BarbaraEhrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed". The paper describes Ehrenreich's experiences in the book as an undercover journalist who went to three American cities and worked as an ordinary American. The paper specifically discusses the inequalities and problems that Ehrenreich exposed in the book; that the daily lives of most Americans consist of driving beat up cars, living from paycheck to paycheck, and being disrespected. The author urges that Ehrenreich's book should be used as an example, and that the wage system in America should be improved.
From the Paper "The problem with American culture is its continued clinging to the American Dream. Although few Americans can make that Dream come true, children are taught in school that all Americans can and will succeed if they only work harder. Yet when those children graduate and try working in the real world, they soon find that their low-wage job leads nowhere. Employee benefits are nonexistent because employees are allowed to offer part-time packages to essentially full-time workers. The underlying American political philosophy fears any shift toward social services that might too closely resemble communism."
Tags: american culture, wage system, book review, employment
Abstract The paper offers an introduction to "Nickel and Dimed" and its author BarbaraEhrenreich. The paper explains why this book was chosen as the focus of study and explains the main ideas that the working class, even in a plentiful nation like America, are literally being "Nickel and Dimed" to death. The paper identifies the main thesis of the book and shows how Ehrenreich was able to combine her real-life experience with that of countless others to prove this thesis. The paper also analyzes Ehrenreich's positions and concludes that this review not only sheds light on an entertaining and highly informative book, but also opened the eyes of the researcher to an entire class of people, which exist in plain sight of everyone, but to whom few give a second thought.
Outline:
Introduction to a Book and Its Author
Why This Book Was Chosen
The Subject of "Nickel and Dimed"
Opinions on the Book
Main Thesis of the Book
Did Ehrenreich Succeed in Providing the Main Thesis of the Book?
Analysis of the Author's Positions
Conclusion
From the Paper "There is an old saying which gives the United States of America credit for being the land of opportunity, a nation where anyone could rise to the top of the social ladder and have their every need met if they only work hard enough. However, there is evidence to suggest that this does not automatically apply to everyone. In order to make this point clear, one of the most relevant books on the topic of poverty in America, "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America", written in 2001 by Barbara Ehrenreich was chosen as the focus of this research. When this book, and its colorful author were researched, it was possible to learn more about the plight of those who have been called America's "working poor", and the challenges they face."
Abstract This paper shall compare and contrast the book "Nickled and Dimed" by BarbaraEhrenreich and the work "Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison" by Michael Foucault. This paper shall compare and contrast the theme of "disappearance" within these two works, where both Foucault and Ehrenreich suggest that modern society conspires to remove the significance of the unwanted individual. For Foucault, this is the prisoner and for Ehrenreich this is the female working class individual.
This paper examines the articles "On Compassion" by Barbara Lazear Ascher, "Serving in Florida" by BarbaraEhrenreich, and "On Dumpster Diving" by Lars Eighner.
Abstract The paper discusses the articles "On Compassion" by Barbara Lazear Ascher, "Serving in Florida" by BarbaraEhrenreich and "On Dumpster Diving" by Lars Eighner where the authors describe how the poor have to struggle to survive for basics, such as shelter, food and clothing. The paper relates that all three essays act as a reminder to those who do not care enough about other unfortunate human beings.
From the Paper "As Ehrenreich finds out in her essay "Serving in Florida," even those who work full time jobs often aren't able to provide for themselves a real place to live. All of Ehrenreich's coworkers live in trailers, cars, hotels or "crowded" apartments (154). As Ehrenreich admits going through her low wage experience, she wouldn't be doing as well as she did without the deposit for housing she started with. "I'd been feeling pretty smug about my $500 efficiency, but of course it was made possible only by the $1,300 I had allotted myself for start-up costs" (Ehrenreich 155)."
Abstract This paper examines the book "Nickel and Dimed" by BarbaraEhrenreich which is a journal of the time spent by the author 'undercover', to see if she could lead a basic life (rent, food etc.) from earning the minimum wage in light of a welfare reform which implies that any job is better than living on government assistance. It discusses her experiences from 1998 to 2000, when she lived in three different states, Florida, Maine and Minnesota, working at $6 to $7 an hour jobs and assesses her findings. The paper brings to light general problems such as stress in the workplace and how what was an experiment for Ehrenreich is real life for so many others.
From the Paper "Ehrenreich soon discovers that it is not easy to eke out a living from entry level positions, which is the common starting point for most welfare mothers and others on government assistance who are required to trade medical benefits and food stamps for the work force. Her first job was as a waitress, or server as they are called in the politically correct world today. Her wage is $2.13 per hour, due to the Fair Labor Standards Act, which states employers are not required to pay tipped employees any more than that. However, as she soon discovers, managers are required to make up the difference between that and the hourly minimum wage of $5.15, if wages including tips fall short of this, but few, if any ever mention this law."
Abstract This paper explains that, although the idea that success comes to all laborers who work hard is one of the most cherished aspects of American capitalist ideology, it is a myth. The author reports that, to confirm her suspected hypothesis in "Nickel and Dimed' that it was not possible to live on the minimum wage in America, reporter and professor BarbaraEhrenreich took different minimum wage jobs, in three different locations in America; in all of her jobs, she was forced to supplant her income with a second job, and even then, she was unable to get by in material terms. The paper relates that, as a solution, Ehrenreich suggests a living minimum wage and appropriate benefits even part-time workers.
From the Paper "Many of the individuals the author met were intelligent and articulate, but life, through poor opportunities or unexpected hardship had cast them into the ranks of the minimum wage laborers, ranks that are difficult to extricate one's self from. As David Shipler has noted in his book on "The Working Poor: Invisible in America", the less income one has, the more one must plan, and even a minor unexpected expense like a child's illness for a mother with no health insurance, can cause one to 'fall'. In contrast, if hard work automatically meant success for the individual who worked hard, then the easy-living women who spend their money on copper pots and do not work would not be materially comfortable-but they are. The attack on Ehrenreich's part on capitalism, as she eviscerates the conspicuous consumption of the aspiring middle classes' new faux old homes in Maine, or the Minnesota lower middle classes orgy of buying, in the hopes of finding happiness and beauty but merely creating disorder for employees is penetrating."
This paper reviews writer BarbaraEhrenreich's "Blood Rites:The Origins and History of the Passions of War", an account of war from its beginnings to today, with an emphasis on its emotional aspects.
1,860 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 0 sources, 2005, $ 59.95
Abstract This paper explains that BarbaraEhrenreich in her book, "Blood Rites: The Origins and History of the Passions of War" traces war's origins back to Paleolithic man's struggle against predators on the African savanna. According to the book, war soon required a symmetrical form that resembled sacrificial rites, which gradually developed into a merger of religion with militarism that transformed battle into a religious rite. The author points out, in the closing chapter, that Ehrenreich pointedly cites the horrifying figure that there have been 160 wars since World War II, which took the lives of 22 million people. The paper contends that mankind is prey, who, through its own efforts, has become a predator; thereby, society continues to prey upon itself, not for sport, but from a residue of insecurity and blood lust that no society yet has managed to suppress.
From the Paper "The following chapters address the notion of the warrior elite. The author uses the example of General MacArthur's evocation of the long, gray line of West Pointers and Hitler's fantasy of a "race of Aryan god-men." However, the warrior elite has disappeared with the modern army, because when everyone has a gun, everyone is equal on the battlefield. The elite doesn't start wars anymore, since anyone can access the massive international arms market. Wars are free to everyone now. One example is the Russian war in Chechnya that was fought by special-forces soldiers."
Abstract This paper reviews and critiques the BarbaraEhrenreich book "Nickled and Dimed in America" about people working at low paying jobs. The paper summarizes the book, which follows Ehrenreich as she takes on a variety of minimum wage jobs across America. Then the paper discusses other literary reviews and criticisms of the book. The paper concludes with the author's personal appraisal of "Nickled and Dimed in America", which is that given America's competitive, free-enterprise economy, there is little expectation that anything will change.
From the Paper "Barbara Ehrenreich's book shows clearly that the unskilled working people in America are at or near the poverty level. She asks two pertinent questions right off the bat: "How does anyone live on the wages available to the unskilled (and) How in particular....were the roughly four million women about to be booted into the labor market by welfare reform going to make it on $6 or $7 an hour?" (Ehrenreich 2001 1) Then answers, as we read the book is "not very well". When she concentrates on the plight of women, she becomes somewhat militant (and no wonder, given the subjects she interviews). For example, a fortyish hostess tells her: "Men run everything- we don't have a chance unless we stick together" (p. 21) As she tells about the restaurant where she worked, she more than proves her point- with the manager literally sneering at the employees in a "must attend" meeting. However, when the author walks out of that Florida job, because, as she put it, her "legs have lost interest (p. 48) she does not have to worry where her next rent check is coming from, or any of the other problems of her fellow workers- male and female in that restaurant."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the issue of low-income workers, said to be - victims of growing prosperity in the USA. The paper reviews BarbaraEhrenreich's book 'Nickel and Dimed' which discusses this subject. According to the paper, Ehrenreich's makes a convincing case against America's self-proclaimed democratic status when it calls the country a "dictatorship" where low-wage workers "dwell in a place that is neither free nor in any way democratic".
From the Paper "In response to severe workplace abuses witnessed by immigrants at the turn of the 20th century prompted the federal government to take some serious steps. This included the passing of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). This and other applicable regulations were meant to ensure healthy working conditions and better wages for workers. However over the years, several violations of the provisions of FLSA have surfaced including the violations connected with record keeping. Section 11a of the legislation requires employers to maintain a record of wages, hours and other conditions at the workplace or factories. These records serve as an important tool for checking if any violations of FLSA took place and to ensure that FLSA is properly followed. However the reasons violations of record keeping are rampant is because of a lack of monetary penalties in case of violation. "
A review of issues of discrimination and class distinction, as described in BarbaraEhrenreich's book, "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America."
Abstract This paper identifies and discusses some of the sociological themes and ideas present in BarbaraEhrenreich's book, "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America." It describes the nation's attitude, including that of Ehrenreich, towards the working class and considers how they are treated and viewed by society. The paper looks at class distinction, education, racism, ethnicity and religion. It then explores the discrimination that thousands of Americans have to face each day.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Looking At How the Other Half Live
The True Reality Of the American Dream
Conclusion
From the Paper "Why does it have to take a relatively wealthy woman, who is middle-classed, well-educated, and financially cushioned, to expose the true experiences of the "working poor"? The reasons, when reading Barbara's book are, unfortunately, all too clear. "Nickel and Dimed", is an emotionally charged, authentic, and witty portrayal of Barbara's social experiment to discover the truth concerning the daily lives of almost a third of Americans who live on poor wages, in bad housing, and who face society's demeaning attitudes towards them and their families. Beginning with middle-age reluctance, Ehrenreich (explaining that she does, after all, have a degree in biology), braces herself, puts her best foot forward, and sets out to discover the reality - "The only way to find out," she writes, "was to get out there and get my hands dirty" (Barbara Ehrenreich, 2001)."
Abstract In this paper, the writer discusses how his perceptions of America's working poor were greatly affected by BarbaraEhrenreich's book "Nickel and Dimed". The writer then discusses how Ehrenreich shows the exploitation of working people and the real situation of of millions of lower-income citizens. The writer also describes the unfair situation where those who give the most to America are the most exploited.
From the Paper "In some critical respects, my perceptions of blue-collared Americans were reinforced - at least when it came to how they were treated by their employers. For instance, I knew full-well that unscrupulous employers could take advantage of uneducated and trusting working-class men and women, but some of Ehrenreich's anecdotes about her life as a faux waitress in a small Florida community were genuinely startling - even when one is cognizant of the fact that the exploitation of waitresses in the hospitality sector is pervasive and can be especially severe when immigrant waitresses are the targets (American Civil Liberties Union, para.1-8)."
Abstract This paper examines BarbaraEhrenreich's book "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America" about her experiences in trying to live on the minimum wage. She spent a year on the road working from everything as a Wal-Mart clerk to a maid to a waitress and discovers it is nearly impossible to survive, let alone live, on $6 to $7 per hour, which is well over the $5.15 Federal minimum hourly wage. It analyzes her experiences trying to hide her education, finding cheap accomodation and living with out health insurance. The paper updates us on basic information about minimum wage regulations, welfare reform and other relevant details and makes us realize that there are a whole class of people that we see every day such as waitresses and clerks whom we take for granted.
From the Paper "In 1996, Barbara Ehrenreich was enjoying lunch with an editor from "Harper's" magazine, and together they fleshed out an idea. Ehrenreich would write a magazine article on what it was like to be one of America's working poor. She would take a low-paying $6 or $7 per hour job, and see what it took to survive. Her basic premise for her research was ""is it really possible to make a living on the kinds of jobs currently available to unskilled people"" (Ehrenreich). The result of her research is "Nickel and Dimed." She spent a year on the road working from everything as a Wal-Mart clerk to a maid to a waitress. What she found about the working poor in America is the basis of this book."
Abstract This paper analyzes BarbaraEhrenreich's article which expresses the opinion that cancer support groups and programs on breast cancer survivorship, instead of providing social support for cancer patients and victims, have instead created a 'cult' in which survival of, rather than finding a cure for, cancer is encouraged and propagated.
From the Paper "The author was critical of this issue, although her thesis did not surface in the initial part of her article. She had divided her discussion into three: the first part talked about the ordeal a woman had to go through after finding out that she has cancer; the second discussion centered on the social support groups that have been formed to accept one's victimization; and the last section provided a critical view of the 'kitschiness' of the rituals cancer patients and survivors have to go through. The organization helped readers reflect on the cult that is cancer survivorship, and clearly follow Ehrenreich's point of contention as she shifts her narrative from identification to antagonism from the very 'cult' that she had been assimilated for a short period of time."
