Your Next Timed, Informal Writing Assignment Will Be From Ch ✓ Solved

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Your next timed, informal writing assignment will be from Chapt

Your next timed, informal writing assignment will be from Chapter 8 from our textbook The Brief McGraw-Hill Reader. You will be asked to write a 1-page summary (22-25 lines) and a 1-page analysis (22-25 lines) on a selected essay from the list below:

• "Is Texas America" by Molly Ivins (287-93)
• "Obama vs. Marx" by Alan Wolfe
• "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich (305-12)

Under Canvas Announcements by Tuesday midnight, I will reveal who will be assigned any ONE of the three essays from Chapter 8 in The Brief McGraw-Hill Reader. They will be randomly selected and divided up into groups of 6-7 students.

Please write both the summary and the analysis on the same document, and turn everything in at the same time. The writing on this assigned essay should not take any longer than 30-45 minutes for you to complete. I will trust that you will be honorable in your writing and inquisitive in your independent learning for this class.

Please remember that I am expecting between 22-25 full lines written by you on both the Summary portion and another 22-25 full lines for the Analysis portion. The summary is your recap of at least 80% of the essay, and the analysis is your deeper analysis into a theme or concept that the author is hopeful you will remember or at least be open to discuss should the opportunity arrive to discuss them together.

Finally, you will notice that many of the essays will have questions afterwards—you are not required to answer any of those questions. You are simply required to:

• read the essay,
• write a full-page summary on what the essay is about,
• write a full-page analysis going deeper into what the essay is about,
• turn it in to Canvas Assignments on time.

Paper For Above Instructions

In this assignment, the selected essay for summary and analysis will be "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich. This essay critiques the American economic system through the lens of low-wage work. Ehrenreich, who has a doctorate in biology and a successful writing career, embarks on an experiment to understand the struggles faced by the working poor in America. She takes low-wage jobs in various sectors, including waitressing and cleaning, to expose the harsh realities of living on minimum wage.

The summary of "Nickel and Dimed" begins with Ehrenreich’s decision to conduct her experiment, motivated by a desire to answer the question: Can one live on minimum wage in America? This question is not merely rhetorical but dives deep into the realities of poverty and the struggles for survival. She embarks on a journey in different American cities, taking on jobs that are designed to challenge her physically and mentally while attempting to live within the constraints of a minimum wage salary.

Ehrenreich illustrates the daily lives of low-wage workers, highlighting their struggles to make ends meet. She goes into detail about her experiences as a waitress, a hotel maid, and a retail worker, often finding herself exhausted, working multiple jobs, and still unable to afford basic necessities. One of the most poignant insights she offers is how these jobs are rarely stable or secure, emphasizing the uncertainty that every paycheck brings. By tagging along with her, readers glimpse the inherent instability in low-wage work and the disconnect that exists between two Americas—the comfortable life of the middle class and the hardship faced by the working poor.

By revealing her personal encounters and the struggles of those she meets along the way, Ehrenreich not only shares a narrative but generates a powerful critique of the American Dream. Her findings indicate that structural issues are often to blame for such hardships—not lack of effort or ambition among the workers themselves. For instance, she discusses widespread issues like insufficient healthcare, expensive housing, and the absence of a living wage that makes it nearly impossible for workers to thrive or even survive.

In her analysis, Ehrenreich delves into the theme of invisibility among low-wage workers. Her writing brings to light the neglected aspects of labor that society tends to overlook, such as the hard work of service employees who play crucial roles in the workings of the economy yet remain underappreciated and underpaid. She effectively argues against the stereotype that low-wage workers are lazy or uninspired, instead painting them as resilient individuals who are often trapped in a system that perpetuates poverty and inequality.

This deeper analysis leads to the broader discussion of capitalism’s role in shaping individual lives. Ehrenreich posits that the economic policies governing the United States tend to prioritize profit over people, creating systems that devalue human dignity and hard work. She encourages readers to contemplate the ethical implications of labor dynamics in a capitalist society—a society where profit margin often overshadow the needs and rights of workers.

Consequently, "Nickel and Dimed" serves not only as a personal narrative but also as a call to action. Ehrenreich urges readers to reconsider their perceptions of low-income labor and to advocate for systemic reforms that can ensure fair wages and better working conditions. As she reflects on the pervasive suffering experienced by the working poor, she beckons society to treat this issue as an urgent social justice concern rather than a mere economic statistic.

In conclusion, "Nickel and Dimed" is a poignant examination of the low-wage labor experience in America. Ehrenreich’s compelling narrative and thorough analysis challenge readers to recognize the complexities behind the simplicity of a minimum wage job and to consider the broader societal implications that such economic realities create. This essay should catalyze discussions around worker rights, economic inequality, and the perceived value of labor within a capitalist framework.

References

• Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. Henry Holt and Company.
• Piketty, T. (2014). Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Harvard University Press.
• Schwartz, H. (2015). The American Dream and the Public Good. Oxford University Press.
• Stiglitz, J. E. (2012). The Price of Inequality. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Lowell, L. B., & Huh, J. (2012). The Impact of Immigration on the U.S. Labor Market. Economic Policy Institute.
• Friedman, M. (2002). Capitalism and Freedom. University of Chicago Press.
• Marx, K. (1867). Capital: Critique of Political Economy. Penguin Classics.
• Brenner, R. (2006). The Economics of Globalization. Cambridge University Press.
• Smith, A. (1776). The Wealth of Nations. Bantam Classics.
• De Luca, M., & Salpietro, D. (2017). Labor Economics in the Twenty-First Century. Routledge.

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