ipl-logo

Barbara Ehrenreich The Pursuit Of The American Dream

535 Words3 Pages

In the essay, The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream, written by Barbara Ehrenreich, she discusses her observations and experiment with “White-Collar” workers in America. White-Collar workers are known as the “Middle Class” people of America. They are classified that way by the amount of income they receive. A short definition of “White-Collar” is making enough to live off of and having a little extra money on the side. Barbara thinks that, “While blue-collar poverty has become numbingly routine, white-collar unemployment-and the poverty that often results-remains a rude finger in the face of the American dream.” What I believe she is getting at with this quote, is no matter what class you are rated as, unless you are the highest class, you are going to fail. I might be reading too much into that quote and the rest of the essay, but that is the vibe I get from the text. I do not particularly agree with that, but it is her opinion. …show more content…

After ten months of trying to find a job, she hired a career coach, attended careers fairs, networking with job seekers and signing up for an employment 'boot camp' Ehrenreich was unable to find a job. She only received two offers of commission-based sales work in car insurance and cosmetics. Neither position offered enough money to land her in the middle class or the “white-collar” economic class. She entered a world that involved a huge mess of management-speaking that she found unsuitable. This involved terms such as "takeaway," "skill set," "due diligence" and "in real

Show More
Related

Commentary On Nickel And Dimed

374 Words | 2 Pages

My article deals with the study of society and social interaction of the Middle Class and how they survived on a Nickel and Dimed. In our text (n) 2, (pg. 42, paragraph 2) the journalist Barbara Ehrenreich brought the two stories together by research, that it is, impossible to make it on minimum wage work. The journalist observed in her study the mindset of the working Middle Class people, their persistence to make ends meet, to take care of their household, family and the will to make thing change. The “Middle Class” an aimless expression applied to those who is not on the system of welfare. In the United States certain development changed the past three decades, due to after World War II, the benefits of growth, and money making flow to

Read More

Nickel And Dimed And Scratch Beginnings Analysis

2296 Words | 10 Pages

The American Dream is almost purely run by structural forces, in her perspective, that are constantly attempting to impede the middle class’ ability for upward mobility. Those who are impoverished are there because of their surroundings, the institutions that shape their lives and therefore, they simply cannot find any way out of the poverty trap in which they have found themselves. While Ehrenreich was conducting her case study, she attempted to determine if the American Dream was by attempting to immerse herself in the culture of the poor. She only did so partially due to several stipulations that she set for the experiment as she stated that she would not live in a shelter (Shepard did), that she would not get rid of her vehicle and rely on public transportation (Shepard also did this); however, she did note that even for her, being partially immersed as she was, still found there to be not much difference between herself and those that worked around. She believed, from her experiences, that the social structure of the employment opportunities, was a systematic way to dehumanize the workers.

Read More

Summary Of Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel And Dimed

652 Words | 3 Pages

As a reader reads Barbara Ehrenreich’s book Nickel and Dimed on (Not) Getting by in America, they get an insight on what it is like to live a low income life. Ehrenreich proposes the argument in the introduction that poverty is a serious matter and just because one has a job does not mean they are not considered poor. She wants to persuade us to realize that American is not the land of opportunity as promised and portrayed and there are regular people who are struggling to live a comfortable life. Throughout her book she mentions her experiences with living on minimum wage, the hiring process, and how she felt being put in that position. After reading Ehrenreich’s book I am thoroughly persuaded.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Serving In Florida By Gregory Mantsios

1318 Words | 6 Pages

The American dream is a dream of a land in which one can prosper with ambition and hard work. This idea has created many illusions for some because in reality the American dream is proven to be something that is rarely achieved. No individual is guaranteed success or destined for failure, but it is apparent that women, people of color, and those born into poverty will face greater obstacles than others, despite being a greater part of the American population. An author that tackles the issue of class in the United States is Gregory Mantsios. In his essay, “Class in America-2009”, Mantsios aims to prove that class affects people’s lives in drastic ways.

Read More

Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel And Dimed

865 Words | 4 Pages

In Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Barbara Ehrenreich asks the question “How does anyone live on wages available to the unskilled?”(1). Ehrenreich investigates by going undercover as a low-wage worker to understand how workers ‘get by’ and see the effects of recent welfare reform aimed to help them. Ehrenreich, over the course of two years, worked unskilled labor intensive jobs in three different cities. Frequently, just to afford bare living expenses, Ehrenreich had to possess two jobs, which took a toll of her health. After completing her stint as a low-wage worker, she comes to the conclusion that they are treated as disposable by employers, often being manipulated or threatened to be compliant about their meager wages

Read More

Summary Of The American Dream Dead Alive By Brandon King

659 Words | 3 Pages

In the essay “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” Brandon king argues whether or not the American Dream is still alive and well in the USA. The author makes a strong case that the American Dream is, in fact, still held to a high degree of belief in America. Not only does he successfully argue that it is still alive, he presents information that shows how the Dream itself has shifted from a rags-to-riches story to one of a stable, happy life. Overall, King’s use of strong emotional appeals, coupled with his employment of sound reasoning and statistics make his argument that the American Dream has evolved over time very effective.

Read More

Argumentative Essay On Nickel And Dimed

876 Words | 4 Pages

Argumentative Text Essay In the book Nickel and Dimed, written by Barbara Ehrenreich, the author argues how challenging it is to live in a life of poverty. To prove to herself as well as others that this statement is accurate, she makes the decision to experience this lifestyle firsthand by taking low-wage jobs and recording the results. Ehrenreich took on jobs including a maid service, waitressing, and assisting the nursing home to make enough money for a place to sleep and food to eat. The work’s central argument is the fact that minimum and low wage workers face a myriad of difficulties in getting by in America; they receive very low pay, harsh treatments from their employers, and the inability to have an actual life.

Read More

Hochil Hochschild: Defining The American Dream

501 Words | 3 Pages

1. How does the Hochschild defined the American dream? Hochschild defines the American dream as “the soul of the nation”. She believes that every American living in America can achieve their dream.

Read More

Michael W. Kraus 'American Dream? Or Mirage?'

607 Words | 3 Pages

What is the American Dream? The American Dream is defined by the ideal that life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. In the article “ American Dream? Or Mirage?” by Michael W. Kraus, Shai Davidai, and A. David Nussbaum, the idea that the lower you are on the wealth/class scale the more you believe in the american dream, whilst on the other hand the higher you are, the more you think it is just luck rather than merit. Professor Kraus et al were wrong in saying that the American Dream is still alive when in truth the American Dream is dying if it is not already dead not only in the upper class but also in the lower class.

Read More

Moving Up The Truth About Getting Ahead In America Summary

1274 Words | 6 Pages

Author Robert McKinnon in his work, “Moving Up: The Truth about Getting Ahead in America” has discussed factors that affect our chances of achieving the American Dream. In the article, "Moving Up: The Truth about Getting Ahead in America" Robert McKinnon argues that “it is easier to stay at the top then it is to rise from the bottom.” Throughout the article McKinnon illustrates the three most important factors when it comes to moving up in the social class to achieve the American Dream this includes: mobility, hard work, and the fate of our birth. Although McKinnon proved all these factors to be vital when it comes to living the American Dream, I believe that hard work is the most important when it comes to achieving the American Dream.

Read More

I Hear America Singing Essay

561 Words | 3 Pages

People argue that the American Dream is impossible. In David Wallinchinsky’s article titled, “Is the American Dream Still Possible?,” he gives multiple statistics on sob stories where even educated people suffer from false hopes that they will live out the American Dream because they are “educationally qualified.” What he fails to realize is that the dream will not be attained by education alone, there are more factors to it than that such as the most important, opportunity. It just so happened that those people didn't get their break.

Read More

Frankenstein Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs Essay

697 Words | 3 Pages

They say that opposites attract, but do they really? In terms of charges, gadgets, and gizmos, sure, why not, but it appears that not everyone can bridge the divide when it comes to deeper emotional connections. As we navigate the complexities and differences of relationships and people, it begs the question: what holds the key to unlocking our fullest potential in life? Mary Shelley’s prominent 1818 novel, Frankenstein, offers diverse insights into Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the best answer to this question.

Read More

Is The American Dream Attainable Essay

794 Words | 4 Pages

The American Dream has been misinterpreted for many years. Many people believe it is dead and it can’t be achieved by anyone. But is the American Dream really unobtainable? Many people associate the American Dream with making a ton of money, a stable and enjoyable job, having a nice house, car, family, etc. But many people believe the American Dream is no longer obtainable.

Read More

The American Dream Jennifer Hochschild Analysis

212 Words | 1 Pages

Jennifer L. Hochschild describes the American dream as “the soul of the nation.” She clearly illustrates the importance of the dream to American culture. So, what is the American dream according to Hochschild? She was referring to John Locke and his fantasy, then said “But the sentence evokes the unsullied newness, infinite possibility, limitless resources that are commonly understood to be the essences of the “American dream.” She also pointed out the flaws in the American dream and how at times the pursuit of it can lead to counterproductive outcomes not just for the individual but society as a whole.

Read More

Theme Of Inequality In The Great Gatsby

2097 Words | 9 Pages

False Illusions "For many the American Dream has become a nightmare. " These words of Bernie Sanders are accurate to an extent. The American Dream is the idea that anyone, with enough resolve and determination, can climb the economic ladder, regardless of where they start in life. It is called the American Dream because the United States is depicted as the greatest nation in the world, that offers the most opportunity and freedom to achieve upward mobility in society. However, many people attach themselves too much to the hope of achieving this dream that they fail to realize the inequalities that take place in front of their own faces, which are the factors that are hampering them from this illusion.

Read More

More about Barbara Ehrenreich The Pursuit Of The American Dream

Related Topics

Open Document