I am so excited for us to begin reading “Nickel and Dimed.”
It’s a vivid look at our American culture and how the idea of work shifts from one part of our community to another. The following will give you a great head start on diving in and applying the book to our course.
First, a video:
This is a strange, but terrific, introduction to the book. It features the author and a song that was written in response to the book. If you watch it, you’ll get a great overview of how the author approached her research and what she was trying to understand.
Let’s make sure we are up to date:
Now, we know our book was originally printed in 2001. So, is it out of date? Haven’t things become better in our economy? The truth is that no, they haven’t. In fact, there is greater income disparity now then ever before in the US. For example, check out the following graphic, showing how we used to see incomes grow very equally across our economy, but since the tax changes in the 80s, the vast majority of people see very little income growth, while the very wealthy have absorbed most economic gains: (Ok to help with question one yes i worked as a cashier at a cvs pharmacy back in 1996) that should help with question 1)
Now the questions to write the paper
So dive in to Chapter One, Florida, then hit the following writing prompts.
Writing Prompt One: I guess this is obvious, but let’s start with you. Have you ever done this kind of work (serving food, retail, some kind of entry level/no real advancement kind of work)? If so, where? When? Was it a similar experience to the author? Describe some one of your working experiences and if it was similar to our author’s.
Writing Prompt Two: Did reading about her experience in Florida change your understanding of the “working class” in the United States? Did it reinforce it? Why? How?
Writing Prompt Three: As we have been learning, it is difficult to engage “happiness and work” without thinking about others. We are social beings and while our own happiness is very important, our happiness might be impossible without the happiness of others. What does our author’s experience in Florida say about the happiness of others to you? What does it mean?
I do not have a PDF of the book but the book is called Nickle and Dimed on not getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
