Nickel and dimed book discussion

Nickel and dimed takes place during a socalled economic boom in american history, the period of peace and prosperity as many people called it then, and still call it now that was the late 1990s. When reading this book called nickel and dimed, which relates to identity passing it shows that she was passing as a lowwage worker, yet she was a middle class worker. Read it for the smoldering clarity of ehrenreichs perspective and for a rare view of how prosperity looks from the bottom. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of nickel and dimed by barbara ehlereich. I just finished reading barbara ehrenreichs nickel and dimed and it really opened my eyes. Nickel and dimed barbara ehrenreich used her book nickel and dimed to illustrate her job assignment to live in the shoes of and, write about her experiences as a minimum wage worker in america. Recently a debate was started over the appropriateness of the book nickel and dimed. Books and bites adult nonfiction book club, a partnership between the bloomington public library and bloomington parks and recreation, met at the lincoln leisure center to discuss barbara. Do you think ehrenreichs experience would be different in todays economy. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in nickel and dimed, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Get an answer for what is the authors purpose in nickel and dimed. Read it for the smoldering clarity of ehrenreichs perspective and for a. Ironically, unc administrators thought, as interim vice. Reading guide for nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich.

For schools who have assigned this book on the summer reading list or for an assignment during the year, consider integrating the nickel and dimed discussion questions that are offered below. On not getting by in america, essayist and social critic barbara ehrenreich applies this notion to minimumwage workers. Topics about this book topics that mention this book. A conservative student group objected to the books selection, suggesting university administrators were pushing a liberal point of view and labeling the book a marxist rant. In the wake of recent welfare reform measures, millions of women entering the workforce can expect to face struggles like the ones ehrenreich confronted in nickel and dimed have you ever been homeless, unemployed, without health insurance, or held down two jobs. Within american culture, it is common for those who enjoy such advantages.

Ehrenreich goes to live in key west, maine, and minnesota and works low wage jobs, sometimes more than one at a time. Books and bites adult nonfiction book club, a partnership between. In our society, its assumed that a job is the way out of poverty and welfare recipients just need to get one in order to stay on their feet. Laura miller, in nickel and dimed, ehrenreich expertly peals away the layers of selfdenial, self.

The nashua telegraph recently reported that the debate was taken to new heights at a school board meeting monday night, as dozens of parents, teachers, residents and students showed up to speak their minds on the issue. For schools who have assigned this book on the summer reading list or for an assignment during the year, consider integrating the nickel and dimed discussion qu estions that are offered below. Written from her perspective as an undercover journalist, it sets out to investigate the impact of the 1996 welfare reform act on the working poor in the united states. When one is charged a little bit at a time until the expense grows beyond expectations, that is called being nickel and dimed.

Getting ready the idea that led to this book arose in comparatively sumptuous circumstances. On not getting by in america by barbara ehrenreich, the author makes the case that all of american society pays a price for the plight of the working poor. On not getting by in america by barbara ehrenreich. On not getting by in america study guide contains a biography of author barbara ehrenreich, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a. Kaitlin yates 14 august 2010 contemporary social problems a sociological evaluation of nickel and dimed. Once again unc has selected a controversial book for its incoming freshman to read, according to a report in the july 11, 2003 edition of the chronicle of higher education che. On not getting by in america is a book written by barbara ehrenreich.

Upon arriving in the twin cities area, ehrenreich goes to a friends apartment, where she will stay for a few days until she is settled. Ask and answer questions about the novel or view study guides, literature essays and more. Critique of nickel and dimed pennsylvania state university. Nickle and dimed this reading group guide includes 17 discussion questions. Nickel and dimed discussion questions the religion. To barbara, her experience proves this is not the case. May 08, 2001 nickel and dimed has been on my radar for years. For one week, starting friday, readers throughout the college and the greater community will be discussing the book nickel and dimed. Discussing nickel and dimed when barbara ehrenreich set out to conduct her social experiment on what it would be like to work as a lowincome, blue collar worker in america, she did so to start. In our everyday lives, we tend to pass for someone we are not. Sometimes it can be for a negative intention or a positive one. Written from her perspective as an undercover journalist, it sets out to investigate the impact of the 1996 welfare reform act on the working poor in the united states the events related in the book took place between spring 1998 and summer 2000.

Nickel and dimed humble independent school district. Its considered a modern classic in several disciplines, including journalism, sociology and economics. Nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich plot summary. To be a member of the working poor is to be an anonymous donor, a nameless benefactor, to everyone else. The idea of selfsufficiency is the cause of controversy for welfare programs. After some internetbased research, she is convinced that there will be a.

The events related in the book took place between spring 1998 and summer 2000. Either way its obvious that in this book the management held negative views of their black and hispanic workers, and acted upon them by denying people of color certain jobs. However, the book is largely about poverty, about the poorand not simply the helplessly destitute, but rather the poor who are employed. Clevery subtitled how not to get by in america, the book is a chronicle of ehrenreichs adventures in survival as a member of the lowwage workforce that serves our meals, cleans our homes, and cares for. Nickel and dimed opens with barbara ehrenreich, a writer and journalist from key west, florida, at a lunch with her editor discussing pitches and article ideas. One example of prejudice and discrimination that especially stood out to me in nickel and dimed was the way the hotel management in key west would automatically have their black and hispanic job applicants sent to work as housekeeping staff or busboys in the hotel restaurant. Instantly acclaimed for its insight, humor, and passion, this book is changing the way america perceives its working poor. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. On not getting by in america, penned by radical leftist barbara ehrenreich. Barbara ehrenreichs nickel and dimed was selected as the summer reading book for 2003. Ethnography is a scholarly term for the anthropological study of human cultures.

Another example of prejudice in noted while i was reading nickel and dimed was how the owners of the houses barb cleaned while working as a maid in portland seemed to. Nickel and dimed reveals lowrent america in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generosity a land of big boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate stratagems for survival. She also tried to prove low wage jobs require a lot of effort that was not worth the amount of money they received per hour. Argumentative barbara ehrenreich sought to prove wages for low class workers are too low for them to provide for themselves or families. For schools who have assigned this book on the summer reading list or for an assignment during the year, consider integrating the nickel and dimed discussion questions that are offered below for those who have not read the book, journalist barbara ehrenreich takes a. May 01, 2002 nickel and dimed reveals lowwage america in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generosity a land of big boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate strategies for survival. In the wake of recent welfare reform measures, millions of women entering the workforce can expect to face struggles like the ones ehrenreich confronted in nickel and dimed. Dec 07, 2012 nickel and dimed barbara ehrenreich used her book nickel and dimed to illustrate her job assignment to live in the shoes of and, write about her experiences as a minimum wage worker in america. On not getting by in america, barbara ehrenreichs portrayal of the months she spent undercover as a lowwage worker trying to eke out a living to find out why people want to participate in the firstever brunswickbowdoin community read and talk about the. She temporarily shed her middle class, educated life in order to understand the working poor. Barbara ehrenreich is the author of nickel and dimed, blood rites, the worst years of our lives a new york times bestseller, fear of falling, which was nominated for a national book critics circle award, and several other books. Nickel and dimed analysis essay example graduateway. On not getting by america by barbara ehrenreich 1726 words 7 pages. Barbara ehrenreich is our premier reporter of the underside of capitalism.

A book that has changed assumptions about american prosperity and hardship, nickel and dimed makes an especially compelling selection for reading groups. Teaching nickel and dimed several crosscurricular resources to support working with the book. Starting in 1998, barbara ehrenreich spent several months working lowwage jobs in different cities around the united states in an attempt to experience what it was like to be one of america. Nickel and dimed essay example 2398 words bartleby. Nickel and dimed is a nonfiction work that can be described as an ethnography or investigative journalism. Nickel and dimed reveals lowwage america in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generosity a land of big boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate strategies for survival. After reading, nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich, your students will be ready to discuss the social and economic implications of the book. Nickel and dimed takes place in 19982000, a time of unprecedented prosperity in america. A frequent contributor to time, harpers, esquire, the new republic, mirabella, the nation, and the new york times magazine, she lives near key west, florida. A popular book used in social justice courses is nickel and dimed. I was never really into books, just recently during quarantine i picked a book from the shelf i never finished, the books name is hippie written by paulo coelho, after finishing the book in about a week i went and bought 2 other books of paulo coelho zahiri and the alchemist, i am amazed by how books work, hippie gave me the meaning of.

Nickel and dimed reveals lowwage america in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generositya land of big boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate strategies for survival. On not getting by in america, a talk by barbara ehrenreich duration. The questions that follow are designed to enhance your personal understanding or group discussion of this provocative, heartfelt and funny account of life in the lowwage trenches. Nickel and dimed book discussion bridges to campus. Ethnographies are based on fieldwork, in which the ethnographer collects data. Clevery subtitled how not to get by in america, the book is a chronicle of ehrenreichs adventures in survival as a member of the lowwage workforce that serves our meals, cleans our homes, and cares for our elderly. The book strengths are in the details about how hard it is to find housing, decent food, and selfrespect for those trying to survive on a minimum wage salary. On not getting by in america study guide contains a biography of author barbara ehrenreich, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Nickel and dimed is not only important but transformative in its insistence that we take a long hard look at the society we live in. On not getting by in america by barbara ehrenreich is based on ehrenreichs ethnographic research on the tricks that people in lowwage jobs are able to survive in america off their income. Oct 17, 2018 topics about this book topics that mention this book. Nickel and dimed discussion questions the religion teacher. The family book report nickel and dimed in this book nickel and dimed. After some internetbased research, she is convinced that there will be a comfortable correspondence between rent and wages. Nickel and dimed is the revealing, compelling, and widely acclaimed result of that decisiona book that has already become a masterpiece of undercover reportage, and a portraitoftheworkingpoor classic that is showing up in classrooms throughout the nation. Shes often written about poverty, and at the moment the book opens, millions of americans are about to leave welfare as the 1996 welfare reform legislation kicks in. Is nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich still relevant. There is a common belief that poverty can be defeated with hard work and that the poor are simply too lazy to earn a better living. Francise prose, o, the oprah magazine valuable and illuminating. Nickel and dimed book discussion bridges to campus wayne. Nickel and dimed by joan holden, based on nickel and dimed, on not getting by in america by barbara ehrenreich thursday, october 20 at 8pm friday, october 21 at 8pm sold out saturday, october 22 at 2. On not getting by in america questions and answers the question and answer sections of our study guides are a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss literature.

Barbara ehrenreich engaged in stunt journalism in order to write nickel and dimed. With any other book, i would probably want to talk more about the book, but nickel and dimed brought up so many economic and personal issues that i ended up focusing on them instead. On not getting by in america topics for discussion barbara ehrenreich this study guide consists of approximately 62 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of nickel and dimed. What makes nickel and dimed such an important book is how viscerally ehrenreich demonstrates that the method of calculating the poverty threshold is ludicrously obsolete. After reading nickel and dimed, do you think that having a job any job is better than no job at all.