The Working Poor Essay

In the 1990's America saw more poverty than ever before. The increase in the manufacturing business helped by creating more jobs for workers. These workers then received benefits from working.(Cooper 981).

In David K. Shipler’s book, The Working Poor Invisible in America the reader is provided a peek into the personal stories of the inner lives of eight families struggling inside the vicious cycle of poverty. Shipler’s method of interviews, narratives of personal stories and observation represents an innovative study investigating the working poor in an attempt to understand “how people in real communities devise collective responses to their problems (Segal, 2010).”

Regardless if we are aware of it or not, not many Americans live the supposed American Dream of having a nice car, big house, well paying job, and have a secure family. In the renowned novel The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler he captures those Americans who live invisible in America that work so hard to suffer from the psychological effects of poverty. Not only does Shipler do that but he also indirectly talks about the “American Myth” and the “American Anti Myth through the lives on these individuals.”

The Industrial Revolution consisted of scientific innovations, a vast increase in industrial production, and a rapid growth of urban populations which consequently shaped a new social structure in the European continent. Initially in the late eighteenth century, the new industrialization period produced dominant bourgeoisie employers and a united men, women, and children workers. The continued increase of factories coupled with a need for employees made the Proletariats within a short period of time a large, underprivileged, hungry, and desperate for money. Meanwhile, their bourgeoisie employers grew authoritative and wealthy as production and profit soared. Despite the common ties between proletariat workers upon the outbreak of the

To begin with, the minimum wage should be raised at least above 8.50 an hour. According to The US Department of Health, the current poverty level is 17,000 a year, which is about 8.50 an hour (Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism). The current minimum wage is 7.25 an hour, a full dollar and a quarter less than the current poverty level. With this, the average American is not able to afford the basic living standards that America herself has set. The need for a work force has been on the decline in America with cheaper sources of labor being created. Ironically, the unemployment payment an American can receive is in some

An influx of labor abroad increases the domestic workforce in the foreign country, allowing the economy in both countries to expand. Given a certain level of demand for labor, increased supply intensifies competition for jobs and exerts downward pressure on earnings. Foreign labor has been a topic of reason due to the loss of jobs in the US, working conditions, and the effect it has on the foreign countries.

Typically, the reason why most Immigrants to these jobs is, they don’t receive or know about the labor rights that the U.S. has. And those that do know, are still waiting for their green cards, which can take years, and even decades. Cheap labor is the only option they have, because immigrants aren’t able to unionize, mobilize, and don’t receive the same laws protecting U.S. citizens. Instead, businesses can capitalize on the misfortune of the immigrants, demanding more work, cheaper and faster production with little to no concern for the immigrants they

Corporations have more bargaining power when hiring foreign workers. Foreigners are getting paid less than native workers (Catamora, 1). This is true, but companies often have to offer these workers more benefits to attract them. The benefits can range from moving and living expenses to jobs for their spouses. The total cost of hiring and employ a foreign worker is more expensive than hiring Americans. The process of visa application is lengthy and expensive. Mazel, an immigration attorney, said “Straightforward cases that should have sailed thru the system are now taking months, if you’re a startup and money is tight. You may think of alternatives than hiring abroad.” (Sugarman, 1). In addition, STEM workers are specifically trained for the job. Every employee is a long-term investment, corporations prefer their investment to stay more than the twenty-nine months that allow. The cost to employ immigrants is too high to be motivated by greed and not by

The Working Poor: Invisible in America is a story that takes personal stories and accounts of people lives to describe the injustices that people face every day. Poverty is damaging to both the economy and the people who face it. Many times social policies are created to assist the people who are working but still struggle to get basic needs like food, utilities, gas, and medical. Poverty is a perpetuating cycle that is intended to keep the poor oppressed and discriminated against. Respectfully, this critique will address the social problems that are identified in the book, the major social welfare policy issues, the social values and beliefs that are critical and the implications for future social welfare policy and social work practice.

This essay will consider whether the welfare state has eliminated poverty. It will examine what poverty is and how the definition varies from societies. The essay will look at the aims of the welfare state from conception and how it has changed to present times. The welfare state being analysed is the welfare state in the United Kingdom. It will discuss the nature of the social democratic welfare state and liberal criticisms of the problems this type of state brings. The recent changes to the welfare state will be reviewed and what the consequences of the changes may be. It will then look at recent statistics to determine whether the welfare state has eradicated poverty.

Jobs are being exported because there is a better workforce somewhere else willing to work at a lower wage. Low inflation in the US ascended throughout most of the 90's and even into 2000.Outsourcing occurs because the consumer chooses the cheaper package over the more expensive despite where it was made. This feedback to companies who outsource, helps them conclude that the consumer wants cheaper goods. Because, the more profitable method is to outsource,the consumer may have driven their own demise. Moreover, outsourcing will at last drive worldwide or global wages up, which is considerably more valuable than simply keeping up American ways of life to the detriment of every other person. Taking Japan and Singapore as cases, after the underlying episode of overwhelming modern improvement, they moved into significantly more data based administrations aggregating in higher pay rates and Gross domestic product development, which thus animated the American economy. Therefore, while American wages will endure in the short term, it is a superior long haul way to deal with

Poverty is the United States is a major issue and continues to worsen as housing is becoming less affordable for many people across the nation. People that do find housing are often restricted to low-income areas that have few opportunities. In the low income areas there are few jobs and the quality of schools are poor and keep the people in the cycle. To offset this cycle money needs to be put into the education system in these lower income areas to offset this cycle. Education allows for people to have more opportunities and would increase the incentive to live in low-income areas. With a quality education that is equal to the suburbs it would give the children much more opportunities to improve themselves and exit the cycle. This cycle is living in low-income areas gives children a poor education due to the schools lacking money and resources; without the needed education the student is not able to get a good job. Without the well paying job that person is not able to afford housing and has to living in affordable housing that is located in the low-income areas. By breaking this cycle with increased education it is possible for people to get out the cycle that ties them to that area. Education is the foundation to success and it very important that is equal and everyone receives similar opportunities through that education.

China is one of our biggest labor competitors. The reason many US companies go to China for outsourcing is again, because of their workforce’s willingness to operate at low costs. Michael Zimmerman describes this as a disparity in worker “tolerance”. Where the low wages found in China are “far lower than U.S.

Throughout the United States, homelessness and poverty have become an overwhelming issue. From people losing their jobs to others having to give up their homes, nearly 14.5 percent of Americans experience some type of poverty. This could look like a small percentage to some but in reality, it's more than 45 million people. While this number may be decreasing, the stereotype of those who are in poverty still remains. It is often thought that those in poverty are non-educated addicts and are generally criminal people. This, however, fails to be proven true. In my personal experiences, it was believed that the homeless and impoverished were of a lower social level and it was easy to assume the poor were in their walk of life for more reasons than simply not having money. Drugs, crime, and poverty all seemed to have the same definition.

Poverty and inequality exist in every developed culture and often are only patched in order for society to continue upwardly. Poverty and inequality in the United States exists for many reasons; reasons that very from the prospective lens. Interpretive theories in particular ask us to question our reality and its constructs. Interpretive theories require us to looks at the world as a social realm, one that we created and constantly change. Interpretive theories study the relationship between power and the construction of social roles as well as the invisible collection of patterns and habits that make up domination, (Delgado & Stefanic, 2001). Susan Kemp argues that the view of the world is dominated by the experiences of white western