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
In a New York Times article, “Too Poor to Make the News,” author Barbara Ehrenreich focuses on the impact the recession has caused to the lives of the working poor. She begins her article by describing how the newly group, known as Nouveau poor, have to give up valuables where as the working poor have to give up housing, food, and prescription medicines. Ehrenreich’s purpose is to inform her readers who are blessed enough not to suffer like the working poor. Barbara Ehrenreich’s article examines the impacts the recession has on the lives of the working poor, by demonstrating pathos, and makes readers aware of the sufferings the poor have to face. Barbara Ehrenreich examines the aspects that are impacting the working poor from the recession.
Mantsios’ compares the profiles of different Americans lifestyles in his text and develops the idea that an individual’s class standing can affect their livelihood in detrimental ways, “The lower one’s class standing, the more difficult it is to secure appropriate housing, the more time is spent on routine tasks of everyday life, the greater is the percentage of income that goes to pay for food and other basic necessities, and the greater is the likelihood of crime victimization” (293). Mantsios explains that one’s class standing can affect the chances of survival and success. Ehrenreich describes her own housing experiences as a low income worker. To reduce her overall costs and to obtain a second job, Ehrenreich moves closer to Key West. Ehrenreich has just enough money to pay the rent and deposit on a tiny trailer at the Overseas Trailer Park.
The United States and Canada share many similarities and differences. Both countries were colonized by Europeans at roughly the same time, but now have citizens from not only Europe but all other parts of the world, including native people. Our governments also share many similarities and differences. The United States and Canada are countries with a shared history that both began under British rule.
In A Framework for Understanding Poverty, Ruby Payne try’s to explain the behaviors and barriers of three social classes: poverty, middle class, and wealth. Beyond the social class of poverty, it’s a breakdown of the elements of the classes and the ‘hidden rules’ each one has. She stresses that these hidden rules aren’t taught in businesses or schools, these of which function as the hidden rules of middle class. Payne states these hidden rules aren’t exactly natural, they’re learned, and as one grows up in a particular class those rules are set in place. She lists all the rules in each class, and the differences are striking.
In America, a teenager can be easily drawn into witnessing a family member being stabbed to death, trafficked into drug/gang cults, or receive severe damages to his/her physical body. Commonly, these kinds of circumstances call the responsible leaders in our community to action, but in the forgotten part of America, they continue uninterrupted. During the late 1980’s, the United States ranked as a developed nation with a competitive capitalist economy and better living standards for the higher social class. Their promises to defend critical human rights remained unrivaled around the globe; yet the United States still possessed areas with lower class people compressed into high rise projects and who struggled to overcome poverty, violence, and prejudice. The lower class people were often given very little to no resources or the
In the article “How I Discovered the Truth about Poverty” Barbara Ehrenreich gives her view in poverty and explains why she think Michael Harington’s book “The Other American” gives a wrong view on poverty. She explained that Harrington believes that the poor thought and felt differently and what divides the poor was their different “culture of poverty.” Ehrenreich goes on to explain on how the book that became a best seller caused so many bad stereotypes on the poor that by the Reagan era poverty was seen as “bad attitudes” and “faulty lifestyles” and not by the lack of jobs or low paying jobs. And they also viewed the poor as “Dissolute, promiscuous, prone to addiction and crime, unable to “defer gratification,” or possibly even set an alarm clock.”
Nicaragua is a country that has been through a lot of revolutionary blood, sweat, and tears. The sad part is that the revolution was a battle of brothers, the Samoza family who were the family that were the political power and the Sandinistas the rebel group. Things really changed when the US interfered, their primary objective was to prevent the spread communism across Latin America instead of ensuring the safety of the Nicaraguan people. In this case the Sandinistas were who were strongly influenced by Marxist ideology were trying to accomplish a few things, avenge the death of their leader Sandino and to help improve the standard of living of the Nicaraguan people who much of whom lived in poverty. Nicaragua has always been a nation of
Publication Information Mantsios, Gregory. “Class in America: Myths and Realities (2000).” Rereading America. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, Bonnie Lisle.
The structure of classes in the twenties was poor, middle class, rich, and within the rich class, Old Money and New Money. In this time period the rich could hide behind their money and influence to stay above the law. “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy--they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back to their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made..” (Fitzgerald 179) The blatant disregard of responsibility shown by the upper class furthers the gap between the poorer and wealthier people.
The dynasty was overthrown in 1979 through a bloody revolution. The Somoza family’s corrupt and oppressive regime did not benefit the sociality of Nicaragua as they neglected the basic needs such as education and healthcare essential to better the people of the country and therefore develop the people of the country. The Somoza family emplaced social welfare policies that aimed to uplift the countries social structures but those policies were not viable as funds allocated for such projects where misused by the Somoza family and officials who had relations with the Somoza regime .From the beginning of the regime the Somoza family allied Nicaragua with the United States and thus Nicaragua received desperately needed funds, these funds elevated the economy of the country and therefore raw materials such as Gold, timber and cotton where exported from the country.
There is lower, middle, and upper class, but there are also subcategories that fill the gaps in between, like the impoverished and the top one percenters. “Class in America”, written by Gregory Mantsios, addresses the myths and realities about socioeconomic class in America and how they affect American lives. His article highlights the unequal divide that has persisted over the course of history and will continue to manifest in the future. To introduce the existence of this issue, Mantsios states that this country’s citizens “don’t like to talk about class...or class privileges, or class oppression, or the class nature of society” (Mantsios 378). This is the case in America today because people are neglecting to acknowledge the existence of these elusive
1984 Synthesis Essay Poverty negatively influences how the minds of people work in the world. The fact that poverty exists itself, obstructs people from changing their circumstances in what is known as “the cycle of poverty.” The lower class is incredibly disadvantaged in that it lacks the necessary social and economic resources needed to increase chances of social mobility. In return, the absence of these resources may increase poverty. Therefore, the lower class is unable to change its situation because the majority believes that any efforts to climb the social ladder is highly inefficient.
All of these aspects of the living conditions faced by the working-class further strengthens the class divide. Fernando Garrido’s views on communism in Spain clarifies how these divulging lifestyles resulted from the Industrial Revolution: “What is said...about property: however sacred this right may be, when only a small number of privileged people can use it - and generally to the detriment of the greatest number who own nothing - is it not normal for the greatest number to view it as an enemy of their
The balance between power and privilege is vital to any social issue that occurs. The class that has limited materials and representation in society are typically those who suffer the most. The inequality between classes exhibits and predicts the extent to which substance abuse is associated with race and economic disadvantage. Moreover, those of higher classes gain more opportunities due to their exposure of resources and good financial standing whereas those of a lower class do not gain the same opportunities and therefore fall victim to crime such as drug
