Online Writing Journal (OW)

Evaluating Ehrenreich's "Evaluation" 193-221

12/6/2013

3 Comments

 
Discuss Ehrenreich's closing thoughts on her experiment working minimum wage jobs by selecting part of one of the quotes below; then use the following template:

TEMPLATE: Barbara Ehrenreich began Title with the goal of ___________________. Along the way, ___
_______________________ happened, perhaps calling into question _____________________________. Still, she her investigation brings several issues to the surface. Among those issues is ______, which she depicts as "quote" (#). Ehrenreich may have/does not have a valid point here if one considers __________.
Sentence. Sentence.


"When you enter the low-wage workplace--and many of the medium-wage workplaces as well--you check your civil liberties at the door, leave America and all it supposedly stands for behind,..." (210).

"We can hardly pride ourselves on being the world's preeminent democracy, after all, if large numbers of citizens spend half their waking hours in what amounts, in plain terms, to a dictatorship" (210).

"If you are constantly reminded of your lowly position in the social hierarchy, whether by individual managers or by a plethora of impersonal rules, you begin to accept that unfortunate status" (210).

"My guess  is that the indignities imposed on so many low-wage workers--the drug tests, the constant surveillance, being 'reamed out' by managers--are part of what keeps wages low" (211).

"There seems to be a vicious cycle at work here, making ours not just an economy but a culture of extreme equality" (212).
3 Comments
Jaycee Defrenchi
12/6/2013 05:40:59 am

Barbara Ehrenreich began nickel and dimed with the goal to see if someone can live off of a minimum wage job or not. Along the way, she worked at different types of minimum wage jobs, but she didn’t do her experiment by the rules she had expectations and she even let go of a job opening because of her pride, perhaps calling into question what her main goal of this experiment really was. Still, her investigation brings several issues to the surface. Among those issues is that once you are trapped at a low wage job you began to accept it which she depicts as "If you are constantly reminded of your lowly position in the social hierarchy, whether by individual managers or by a plethora of impersonal rules, you begin to accept that unfortunate status" (210). Ehrenreich may have a valid point here if one considers their job a dead end. Some individuals work at a low wage job because they don’t have every many skills to work anywhere else. Once you accept and get comfortable at a dead end job then you will be stuck there because most people don’t like change.

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Cordell McDowell
12/6/2013 05:52:35 am

Barbara Ehrenreich began Nickel and Dimed with the goal of working minimum wage. Along the way, Ehrenreich struggles with finding a job and a place to live. Issues of owners making a lot and not giving a lot to their employees have happened, perhaps calling into question whether or not the American Dream is sought to achieve equality. Still, her investigation brings several issues to the surface. Among those issues is equality, which she depicts as “There seems to a vicious cycle at work here, making our not just an economy but a culture of extreme equality” (212). Ehrenreich may have a valid point here if one considers the fact that women still have garnished wages as opposed to men. In addition, people of lower class work so hard for so little whereas people of upper class more or less work just as hard but for much more and that is a large gap between lower class and higher upper class; inequality at its finest.

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Ken Brouse
12/8/2013 02:42:47 pm

Barbara Ehrenreich began Nickel and Dimed with the goal of trying to survive in the low wage life style. Along the way, she discovered that she was incapable of being an honest separated observer. Perhaps calling into question her ability to be objective and not adhering to the true nature of the experiment. Still, she her investigation brings several issues to the surface. Among those issues is what true Americans struggle with on a daily basis, what it means to be an American, which she depicts as "When you enter the low-wage workplace--and many of the medium-wage workplaces as well--you check your civil liberties at the door, leave America and all it supposedly stands for behind,..." (210). Ehrenreich does not have a valid point here if one considers the true meaning of American citizen. Our jobs do not dictate who we are and how we live as citizens. It is the individual in all of us to achieve that goal in life.

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