...“The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. A full-time minimum wage employee earns $15,080 annually. In 2012, the poverty threshold for a single person was $11,945. For a family of four with two children, it was $22,283” -University of California-Davis. In Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, Barbara Ehrenreich tells a powerful and tenacious story of the day to day survival of low-income workers in America. Her story transcends the disparity that exists between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat society and uncovers the dark truths that lie hidden beyond the popular portrayal of the “American dream”. The book gives the reader an insiders’ view into the world of the proletariat society, a peculiar place to which majority...
Words: 1438 - Pages: 6
...Nickel and Dimed is a novel written about the life of Barbara Ehrenreich, as an upper class writer, who went undercover to discover the pain and frustration of how so many Americans are not getting by in America. She leaves all her money and clothes and goes city to city trying to find a job and make a living with her laptop in tow. As she finds new jobs, she also finds new companions and learns that their struggle to escape the ominous thought of falling into poverty is large and never ending. Nickel and Dimed proved that It is impossible for minimum wage to provide an ordinary life for those working under a blue collar forcing them to grasp and fight for their survival. In the first part of Nickel and Dimed, Ehrenreich decided to go to...
Words: 625 - Pages: 3
...Talking about a topic comes at ease when the issue at hand affects the individual. Many people have talked about the topic of inequality and done much research on it, but many of them just are not passionate enough to get into people's skin. Nevertheless there is an individual by the name of Barbara Ehrenreich who has covered the topic of inequality pretty in depth. Mrs Ehrenreich studied theoretical physics at Reed College and earned a Phd in cell biology from the Rockefeller University, in addition, she one of the biggest influencers in a nonprofit movement of the 60’s which advocated for people's right to a better healthcare. Despite all the accomplishments mentioned above the reason why she is most known is her famous book Nickel and Dimed. In the book the author dives into the various consequences of income inequality: in order to do this she choses a job in which she is paid the minimum wage, then she tries to survive an entire month with the money she is paid, however, if she does not receive enough money she moves onto the next job in a different location. Furthermore the book tries to demonstrate one of the most popular theories when talking about the reason why income inequality exist, which is conflict theory. Conflict theory is shown very evident throughout the book as the concept of the theory is...
Words: 632 - Pages: 3
...Honors English 10 Independent Reading Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich Purpose: * To increase exposure to different types of literature * To understand how reading can have practical applications Expectations: * Read Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich * Write a one-page summary of one of Ehrenreich’s 3 experiences in the book (CCPS Summary Checklist/Rubric) * Write a 2-3 page reflection on how issues in the book affect our local area, including first-hand experience with community action and/or outside research *see note below (CCPS Narrative/Analytical Writing Rubric) Experiences: * Guest speaker from Human Services Programs (HSP) of Carroll County (Monday, December 9th during Mod 3A) * Class project **see note below * Volunteer to help with HSP Neighbors in Need Holiday Shop (http://www.hspinc.org/nin.help.php) *Students also receive Service Learning Hours * Volunteer to help organize WHS Food Pantry (dates/times will be provided) *Students also receive Service Learning Hours *Reflection paper: The reflection paper must include text-based evidence from Nickel and Dimed, connecting issues in the text to at least 2 other sources. These may be two experiences from the list above, two sources of outside research about local poverty and/or community action agencies, or a combination of the two. Please note that if you choose to include outside research, you must include citations in MLA format. **Class project: HSP...
Words: 357 - Pages: 2
...NOTE: This is a published paper and should be cited as follows: Simmons, A.M. (2012). Class on fire: Using the Hunger Games trilogy to encourage social action. The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 56(1), 22-34. Abstract This article explores ways to utilize students’ interest in fantasy literature to support critical literacy. Focusing on Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games series (2008, 2009, 2010), the author addresses how elements of the trilogy relate to violent acts in our world, helping student understand that violence and brutality toward children is not fiction, but very real, and that they can play a role in its abolishment, just like Katniss, through social action projects. Issues such as hunger, forced labor, child soldiers, and the sex trade that appear in both the fictional series and our world are discussed, encouraging students to assess their world and advocate for change. Examples of social action projects that utilize multiple literacies are suggested as a way to inspire students take action in the community and to stand up to injustice and brutality in hopes of creating a better world and a better human race. Using popular literature to pique student interest, this article explores how to incorporate the books in the Hunger Games series into the ELA classroom to support literacy and critical goals. Class on Fire: Using the Hunger Games Trilogy to Encourage Social Action Introduction The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, comprising...
Words: 8057 - Pages: 33
...RESEARCH and WRITING CUSTOM EDITION Taken from: Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide, Eleventh Edition by James D. Lester and James D. Lester, Jr. To the Point: Reading and Writing Short Arguments by Gilbert H. Muller and Harvey S. Wiener ISBN 0-558-55519-5 Research and Writing, Custom Edition. Published by Pearson Custom Publishing. Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Custom Publishing. Taken from: Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide, Eleventh Edition by James D. Lester and James D. Lester, Jr. Copyright © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Published by Pearson Longman, Inc. New York, New York 10036 To the Point: Reading and Writing Short Arguments by Gilbert H. Muller and Harvey S. Wiener Copyright © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Published by Pearson Longman, Inc. Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Custom Publishing All rights reserved. Permission in writing must be obtained from the publisher before any part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN 0-536-97722-4 2005240359 AP Please visit our web site at www.pearsoncustom.com ISBN 0-558-55519-5 PEARSON CUSTOM PUBLISHING ...
Words: 70562 - Pages: 283
