Nickel And Dimed: A Case Study

What is most interesting about Barbara Ehrenreich?s journalistic venture is that she worked in a white color position as an accomplished journalist, but her immediate family came from a meager financial background. It appears as though she had a grasp on the hardships of poverty in America, which is why she wanted to dig deeper. Ehrenreich?s sister had a series of low paid jobs, her father worked in the coal mine, and her husband met her when he was making only $4.50 an hour. Ehrenreich began her research in 1998 and the book was published in 2001. Ehrenreich did not set out to be poor. She set out to bring attention to the condition of the survival of a minimum wage income of $6.00-$7.00 per hour.

The employees were getting paid a low hourly wage and they were not receiving any benefits. Sam Walton was chasing after power, it might not have been the power of having money, but making sure whenever someone talked about him in a positive way. Employers such as Walton are not generous and they are more than harmful when they stifle activism; for example “[w]hen workers tried to join unions and Wal-Mart ruthlessly crushed them, firing anyone foolish enough to speak out”(Packer,354). This example shows how the employees were powerless while working at Wal-Mart. Consequently, Wal-Mart was not the only company. If the Wal-Mart’s corporate heard anything about any worker wanting to receive more benefits about what was actually happening they would quickly act upon that and fire the employee. In addition, the power that corporate would show when other workers saw this would prevent any further action. While the workforce might be powerless, at least they are protected from the streets. On the other hand, women living in the ghetto who do things for safety is a source of power for them. In both of these situations, they are doing more harm than justice. Joan Morgan explains the struggle that takes place in the black community and more so in the black women’s community. Both groups, the low paying employees and African-American women are born to fail, but sadly either one are doing anything to try changing this problem and allows it to continue. The employees at

In Barbara Ehrenreich's book "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by In America" we read about a middle aged journalist undertaking a social experiment of the greatest magnitude. The journalist is Ehrenreich herself and the experiment was to find out how a woman, recently removed from welfare, due to policy reform, would make it on a six or seven dollar an hour wage. The experiment itself started out as just a question in the middle of lunch with one of Ehrenreich's editors, it soon turned into a job assignment. Before starting the experiment, Ehrenreich laid out some ground rules for her to follow during the duration of the assignment. First she could never use

Employers should not treat their employees as a potential criminal. At the end of the book, it said, “Stop treating working people as potential criminals and let them have the right to organize for better wages and working conditions.” (238). When Barbara worked at Key West, Florida, the employer said they heard

Ehrenreich chooses Minnesota at whim. After some internet-based research, she is convinced that there will be a comfortable correspondence between rent and wages. She decides she wants to work for retail, and applies to Wal-Mart. After the process of applying which includes a survey and a drug test, she is later hired for $7 per hour. Working at Wal-Mart makes Ehrenreich realizes there isn’t much human interaction in retail. “I could be a deaf-mute as far as most of this goes” (Ehrenreich157). There are also the people in the store who tend to make work a living hell and can turn regular chipper people into angry, cranky pushovers. “Once I stand and watch helplessly while some rug rat pulls everything he can reach off the racks, and the thought that abortion is wasted on the unborn must show on my face, because his mother finally tells him to stop” (165). In many cases the “smiley” greeters who welcome people into the store, are very unhappy and think unkind thoughts about everyone who comes to visit the store, “I even start hating the customers for extraneous reasons…” (165). This sudden change in character can be strenuous on a worker, regardless of their personality. Resenting the people who workers work for isn’t a healthy trait. “ ‘Aggressive hospitality’ gives way to aggressive hostility” (165).

The United States prides itself on being a democracy in which equal opportunity and the pursuit of happiness are guaranteed rights for all citizens. There is no uncertainty in the loyalty that Americans have towards this promise of natural, unalienable rights. However, as Michael Foucault explains in Discipline and Punish, the power structures present in society infringe on our rights to equal opportunity and happiness by forcing us to abide by social norms and expectations. Using Barbara Ehrenreich’s experience as a low-wage worker in Nickel and Dimed as an example, it is clear that the power structure of observation that Foucault describes disciplines low-wage workers to behave and live in a way society deems appropriate.

Were your perceptions of the blue collar Americans transformed or reinforced by nickel and dimmed? Have your notions of poverty and prosperity changed since reading the book? What about your own treatments of waiters, maids, salespeople?

There continues to be debates on whether or not minimum wage should be raised and the financial impact it has on an individual. Does it kill jobs? Who does it benefit the most? Many people can agree that minimum wage has changed dramatically in the past couple of years. In the book Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By In America by Barbara Ehrenreich, she states her views and opinions on the minimum wage based on self-experience. Ehrenreich took the challenge of secretly reporting life at minimum wage by settling into different areas in the country, working at low-paying service jobs like restaurant server, cleaning woman and Wal-Mart employee. Ehrenreich learned how difficult it was to live making a low wage.

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Is about a woman, a journalist who goes undercover to witness the Welfare Program the government provides for the poor and people in need. Ehrenreich is white and middle class. She claims that her experience would have been radically different had she been a person of color or a single parent. Ehrenreich had not much to worry about other than finding a job and a somewhat comfortable living space. If she had not been white , her experience would have been drastically different in my opinion. With little money, during this time period things were still not too expensive but not too affordable for some people.

The main Topic of Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is how labor and poverty are used when working and how people have to go through these conditions in order to survive. In the beginning, Barbara Ehrenreich was an undercover journalist search to find the truth behind minimum- wage works. Throughout the book she wrote about people she met and their issues, a boy named George was an example of labor and injustice because he was accused of stealing but it was never proven. Ehrenreich main goal is being able to pay her bills. But she then realizes has to get two more jobs to manage. Hard work has been a huge impact in poverty because of the horrible conditions workers have to go through in order to keep their jobs. Even when times there are

In Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich proclaims that while on a mission to experience the struggles in the everyday life of the poor, she will never be able to fully understand what it’s like to be in that situation. Throughout her journey, she comes across many different people and job opportunities, making for a different outcome every time. Although there was variation of variables, her response to troubling situations was always the same: giving up.

In the essay “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich she discusses the issues of low wages. Barbara worked a low paying wage job as a nurse in order to fully understand the hardship. While working this job she meets new people and writes about their struggles with low paying jobs. She believes it is important for everyone to know how the other half lives, and to shed light on the low wage market and many more problems that come with it. This essay will focus on the message Barbara wanted to get across, but also her flawed, hypocritical methods of acquiring this information.

Barbara Ehrenreich in her book “Nickel and Dimed” first handily accounts her experiences and trials as a well educated and prosperous woman who goes out and encapsulates the life of an American service worker, through reading, I questioned the validity of her words, experiences and wondered how much of the real trials did she actually face. It is no question that Ehrenreich worked the hours, put in the labor, and accounted her own work difficulties but prior her experience set limitations which include basic privileges such as no intentions of homelessness or going hungry but these privileges are also ones that she experiences that her co-workers most of the time, don’t. Ehrenreich even goes through and depicts the housing arrangements of her

Can someone really live and prosper in American receiving minimal income? Can someone create a good lifestyle for themselves on just six to seven dollars an hour? In Nickel and Dimed Barbara Ehrenreich goes undercover to find out if it is indeed possible. Giving herself only $1,000 she leaves the lifestyle that she has come accustomed too and goes to join all the people living the low class way of life.

The unequal wage policies at Simpsons Plastic Products Corporation may lead to production and political deviance within the company. Production deviance can be characterised by employees leaving early, taking excessive breaks working intentionally slow, and wasting resources. Political deviance can be characterised by favouritism, gossiping, and competing non-beneficially. Women working at Simpsons may engage in production deviance activities due to the unequal wage policies. Fairness refers to the judgements people make about decisions or outcomes that are based on measurements. Fairness cannot be determined by statistics. Fairness involves emotions and perceptions. It depends on what one considers to be fair. What is fair for one person may not be fair to another. A lower wage rate for most female households in the workforce versus male households is a form of direct discrimination. Female workers will perceive this treatment as unfair and may respond with production deviance actions. A reason for women receiving lower wages may be due to favouritism. Women may attempt to compete non-beneficially for their manager’s approval for a potential pay raise.