Keywords: nicekl and dimed essay, nickel and dimed analysis
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, published in 2001 by Barbara Ehrenreich, is a e book in which the author should go "undercover" and investigates the lives of the working poor by living and working in similar conditions. The book demonstrates reasonably well two interpersonal paradigms, namely issue theory (motivated by Marx and Weber) and structural-functionalism (motivated by Talcott Parsons). Discord theory is obviously demonstrated throughout the book-social order based on inequality, the abundant get richer and the indegent get poorer. Addititionally there is proof structural-functionalism, though it isn't the best fit. Structural-functionalism is defined as a society where there are organizations of people structured into levels that allow individuals in this culture to find balance, order and meaning (Kimmel, Aronson, and Dennis 2011). Ehrenreich shows that there are certainly levels within modern culture, however, due to inequalities that are present, the individuals in the working poor cannot find steadiness or order because they are owning a never-ending race as they say. These inequalities have many effects on society at large (both wealthy and those in poverty), as well as the people within the working poor.
The economic inequality inside our culture has many possible causes, nevertheless they all affect society as a whole, no matter your school or status. These results include things such as trust/interpersonal cohesion, criminal offenses/deviance, and people health (especially that of the working poor). There is a relationship between income inequality in a modern culture and standard mistrust, demonstrated with a U. S. Standard Survey (Uslaner and Brown 2002). One economist, a Joseph Stiglitz (2012), argues that this inequality has also led to distrust of businesses and the federal government. Criminal offenses is also a correlated factor in societies with a bigger economic space. Several studies have been done that show a substantial upsurge in homicides, both in the U. S. and worldwide, in societies which have a large margin between your rich and the poor (Martin, Wilson, and Vasdev 2001). Homicides are usually the most common way of measuring violent crime because of the fact that information are reported worldwide. There's also numerous outcomes for people health in societies with a more substantial economic inequality. Experts have found that these societies have a slightly lower life expectancy, and an increased incidence of communal and health issues like incarceration rates, teenage births, mental illness, obesity, education yet others (Wilkinson and Pickett 2009). It has also been shown that this inequality and cultural stratification can be linked to to anxiety, despair, drug abuse, and other stress-related disorders (Booth 2010).
It is because of this constantly present inequality that I believe Ehrenreich's reserve most accurately presents conflict theory. At one point in the book, Ehrenreich remarks, "Maybe, it occurs if you ask me, that I'm obtaining a tiny glimpse of what it might be prefer to be dark (p. 100). " That is a somewhat good point because, while we as a contemporary society view school as an achieved position, quite often it is set and ascribed much like competition. Of the consequences as a result of this societal inequality and issue, the working low-quality themselves go through the majority. Throughout Nickel and Dimed we have been shown that there are many "hidden costs" to being poor, and in many cases those in poverty are caught in a rut with no way to avoid it because of them. The working poor have to have day-to-day in hotels accumulating costs, where is would normally be cheaper to lease an apartment if indeed they could simply afford the security deposit and starting utilities. With out a semi-permanent shelter and rising debt, the working poor are usually forced to buy less healthy, more expensive meals because they don't have the luxury of the appliances needed to prepare and store food. Being poor is often a self-fulfilling prophecy, and those who believe they can be trapped in poverty for the others of their times are often likely to do just that.
In another area of the e book, Ehrenreich and other maids are watching a training video recording on how to completely clean rooms and vacuum. The video tutorial itself is marginally demeaning, almost as though made to be viewed by small children. In one part of the video, the person supplying instructions says "See, I am the vacuum cleaner (p. 74). " This sort of paints an image in the visitors head concerning the way the company views and treats its employees: like these are mindless robots whose only purpose is to serve the business. Towards the rich, that is actually what they are. The rich view the working poor as an organization in contemporary society that was created to be taken advantage of, nearly the same as Karl Marx' view of the proletariat. In their eyes it fulfills the structural-functionalism paradigm of society-as many say, "someone must do it". Unfortunately this is not the case, because the idea calls for all individuals in contemporary society to have stableness and order in their lives. As evidenced by Ehrenreich's investigation into the working poor, the last thing the working poor have is balance, therefore this theory is not an entirely accurate representation of your culture. Instead there is the ever-present conflict between the abundant and working category.
It is shown by both Ehrenreich's publication and in the real world that the working poor are obstructed from evolving in contemporary society by many different road blocks. These obstacles are things such as housing, transport, and other basic needs (Ehrenreich 2001). For instance, the working while often do not have a permanent home or family to stay with while they spend less, and cannot find the money for a large first deposit for a flat. This means they have to settle with regular hotel rooms, which wrap up being more expensive, yet are the only affordable option because they don't require large down repayments. Travel is another common factor; if you are an associate of the working poor they likely do not have their own car and also have to count on public transport. Depending on the location it is do-able, but open public transportation inside our society is still not widely-available in every city. One research shows that solo mothers who were able to workout a carpool or something similar with the peers were significantly less more likely to require government aid (Eden and Lein 1997).
Food and clothing are also problems; without personal savings it is a lot harder to buy uniforms and such for careers. The working poor also need to deal with odd work schedules, often working all times of the day rather than having consistent time. Not only does indeed this mean it is harder to save up money, but being able to spend so little time at home also sets the working poor ready where it is difficult to acquire the time to cook for themselves, and are often left with the choice of unhealthy fast food. Working odd hours also leaves parents helpless as it pertains to childcare; while there are many choices for childcare including free programs and cultural networking with peers, working in any way hours of the night means you might not will have a babysitter lined up. Obviously it has negative implications for both children and the parents.
Ehrenreich's e book shows quite nicely how the turmoil theory can connect with our modern culture and the ever-growing distance between the wealthy and the working poor. Lately people appear to be taking more notice of the working poor, but the gap is still as large as ever before. In her evaluation by the end of the e book, Ehrenreich state governments,
The "working poor, " because they are approvingly termed, are actually the major philanthropists in our society. They disregard their own children so the children of others will be looked after; they reside in substandard casing so that other homes will be gleaming and perfect; they withstand privation so that inflation will be low and stock prices high. To be always a person in the working poor is to be an anonymous donor, a nameless benefactor. . .
I agree with the writer in the sense that the working poor are definitely "taking one for the team" so to say. They perform the menial labor that's needed is in our culture, however, not everyone desires to do. Sadly because we don't are in a utopia, they undergo for it. They make great sacrifice by doing careers they often know don't lead to progress in culture, because they know that it needs to be done by someone. The turmoil theory applies to both Ehrenreich's e book and our contemporary society in the true world-there are numerous inequalities in the labor force, and the allocation of resources for folks in our society is sent out unfairly.
