Matthew Blankenstein
Mrs. Tirado
Money, Power, and Social Justice
6 June 2016
Summative Essay
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, published in 2001 by Barbara Ehrenreich, is a book in which the author goes undercover and investigates the lives of the working poor by working and living in similar conditions. The book demonstrates two social paradigms, conflict theory and structural-functionalism. Conflict theory is clearly demonstrated throughout the book based on inequality, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. There is also evidence of structural-functionalism. “Structural-functionalism is defined as a society in which there are groups of people organized into levels that enable individuals in this society to find stability, order and meaning” (Kimmel, Aronson, and Dennis 2011). Ehrenreich shows that there are defined levels within society and because of the inequalities that are present, the individuals in the poor are unable to find stability or order because they are running a never-ending race so to speak. All of these inequalities have plenty of effects on society, both wealthy and those in poverty, as well as the families within the working poor.
The economic inequality in our culture has many probable causes, but they all affect society as a whole, regardless of your class or status. “The Economic Policy Institute recently reviewed dozens of studies of what constitutes a “living wage” and came up with an average figure of $30,000 a year for a family of one adult and two children, which amounts to a wage of $14 an hour” (213). 60% of American workers are paid less than the recommended $14 minimum. Minimum wage ranges from $7.25 to $10 by state. Why is it that minimum wage is drastically below the “living wage”? These effects include things such as trust/social cohesion, crime/deviance, and population health. “There is a correlation between income inequality in a society and general mistrust, demonstrated by a U.S. General Survey” (Uslaner and Brown 2002). One economist, Joseph Stiglitz, believes that the inequality has also led to a level of distrust in businesses and the government. Crime is also a factor in societies with a larger economic gap. “Several studies have been done that show a significant increase in homicides, both in the U.S. and worldwide, in societies that have a large margin between the rich and the poor” (Martin, Wilson, and Vasdev 2001). Homicides are the most common measure of violence due to the fact that statistics are reported around the world. There are also lots of medical repercussions in societies with a larger economic inequality. Researchers have found that these societies have a slightly lower life expectancy, and a higher incidence of social and health problems like incarceration rates, teenage births, mental illness, obesity, education and others. It has also been shown that this inequality and social stratification can be linked to to depression, drug abuse, and other stress-related disorders.
At one point in the book, Ehrenreich remarks, "Maybe, it occurs to me, that I'm getting a tiny glimpse of what it would be like to be black (p. 100)." While we as a society view class as an achieved status, oftentimes it is fixed like race. Of the consequences brought about by this societal inequality and conflict, the working poor themselves experience the majority. Throughout Nickel and Dimed we are shown that there are many hidden costs to being poor, and oftentimes those in poverty are stuck in a rut with no way out because of them. The working poor have to live day-to-day in hotels accumulating costs, where it would normally be cheaper to rent an apartment if they could simply afford the security deposit and starting utilities. Without 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 cook and store food. Being poor is often a self-fulfilling prophecy, and those who believe they are stuck in poverty for the rest of their days are often likely to do just that.
In another part of the book, Ehrenreich and other maids are watching a training video on how to clean rooms and vacuum. The video itself is slightly demeaning, almost as if made to be watched by young children. In one part of the video, the man giving instructions says "See, I am the vacuum cleaner (p. 74)." This sort of paints a picture in the reader's head as to how the company views and treats its employees: like they are mindless robots whose only purpose is to serve the business. To the rich, that is most likely what they are. The rich view the working poor as a group in society made to just be taken advantage of, like Karl Marx' view of the proletariat. In their eyes it fulfills the pattern of "someone has to do it".
It is shown by both Ehrenreich's book and in the real world that the working poor are blocked from advancing in society by many different obstacles like housing, transportation, and other basic necessities. The working poor often can’t afford to have a permanent residence or don’t family to stay with while they save money. This means they have to settle with weekly hotel rooms, which end up being more expensive, yet are the only affordable option because they don't require large down payments. Food and clothing are also problems; without savings it is much harder to buy uniforms and such for jobs. The working poor also have to deal with long work schedules, often working all times of the day and never having consistent hours. Ehrenreich's book shows how the conflict theory can apply to our society and the increasing gap between the rich and the working poor. In recent years people seem to be taking more notice of the working poor, but the gap is still as large as ever. “To be a member of the working poor is to be an anonymous donor, a nameless benefactor, to everyone else” (221). In her evaluation at the end of the book, Ehrenreich states, The "working poor," as they are approvingly termed, are in fact the major philanthropists of our society. They neglect their own children so that the children of others will be cared for; they live in substandard housing so that other homes will be shiny and perfect; they endure privation so that inflation will be low and stock prices high.
All in all, I agree with Ehrenreich in the statement that the working poor are definitely "taking one for the team". They carry out and put up with the labor that is required in our society, but not everyone wants to do. Unfortunately because we don't live in utopia, they suffer for it. They make great sacrifice by doing jobs they often know don't lead to advancement in society, because they know that it has to be done by someone. The conflict theory applies to both Ehrenreich's book and our society in the real world-there are numerous inequalities in the workforce, and the allocation of resources for individuals in our society is distributed unfairly.
Works Cited
"Nickel and Dimed." Barbara Ehrenreich. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2016.
"Nickel and Dimed Quotes." By Barbara Ehrenreich. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2016.
"What Is Marxism." AllAboutPhilosophy.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2016.