Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America Group at eNotes

This an a pretty broad question and I am sure that you will get many...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:15:07 PST

This an a pretty broad question and I am sure that you will get many different answers. Here are a few values that I think has been important to America over the years. First, I believe that there is a strong emphasis on freedom; it is everywhere. Second, there is the closely related idea of democracy. Third, self-reliance is an important value that has been emphasized in the past, but I think it is still with us today. Fourth, one of the...

Leadership...it's an acronym Loyalty Duty Respect Selfless-Service...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:08:08 PST

Leadership...it's an acronym Loyalty Duty Respect Selfless-Service Honesty Integrity Personal Courage

What are the six dominant American values?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:45:51 PST

What are the six dominant American values?

The purpose of government is to safeguard rights. One of those is to...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:29:54 PST

The purpose of government is to safeguard rights. One of those is to have a free economic system in which individuals may prosper, free from onerous government regulation. Charity is the purview of churches and social groups, and those in need should seek help there. Government should not do for individuals what they should do for themselves, but it should allow them to do what they wish as long as they do not violate another's...

Increase in earnings of a few individuals in any form - salary or...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:16:51 PST

Increase in earnings of a few individuals in any form - salary or benefits, will increase their real income, and thus benefit. However, increase in earnings of everyone in an economy, without increase in real output of the economy will not increase the real income of the people. Though people may have more money to spend in their hands. the price levels will increase also. The net result will be that people will be no better off. To improve...

The way this topic is worded, the government is made to sound like some...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:07:39 PST

The way this topic is worded, the government is made to sound like some kind of a jinn from Aladdin's magic lamp that gives you all that you want for free. Once you have this jinn to serve you, the help from family becomes secondary. Unfortunately, reality is far from this. Nothing that the government provides come to the people free. In the ultimate analysis, it is the people themselves who pay for everything that they pay for. In addition...

I’m not 100% sure that if low-wage workers were paid more salary, they...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:27:59 PST

I’m not 100% sure that if low-wage workers were paid more salary, they would set aside money for health insurance premiums, particularly if they are young and healthy. Part of the current debate on health care is whether to mandate that everyone must carry health insurance in order to force everyone to share in the risk. Automobile insurance is mandatory, because otherwise some drivers would not purchase it and if they were to be involved in...

I think that the answer to the question depends on which demands are...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:17:24 PST

I think that the answer to the question depends on which demands are being made. One example where there is a woeful lack of government support is maternity/paternity leave and child care. In many developed countries, paid time off with new children is a right for both parents, with job protection ensuring that they don’t lose their employment. Government-provided and subsidized child care is also provided in many industrialized nations. In...

In the culture where I grew up, people made way more demands on family...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:23:59 PST

In the culture where I grew up, people made way more demands on family and way fewer on government. For example: When you get old, you don't go on Social Security -- your family takes care of you. If you lose your job, you don't get unemployment -- your family takes care of you. If your house blows down in a typhoon (hurricane), you don't ask FEMA for help -- your family helps you. Now, I don't know if that would be feasible in a big...

do you think Americans make excessive demands on the family unit rather...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:34:19 PST

do you think Americans make excessive demands on the family unit rather than calling for the government to help those in need?

do you think an increase in salary would redress the lack of benefits,...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:33:51 PST

do you think an increase in salary would redress the lack of benefits, or its this completely separate problem

Discrimination works in a few different ways in this text. First,...

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:03:14 PST

Discrimination works in a few different ways in this text. First, Ehrenreich experiences the discrimination against the working class in a supposedly classless society. The extreme invasions of privacy put on minimum wage earners are nothing like the freedom middle class or upper class workers experience. Random bag searches, drug tests, and personality tests may be required to get a job, and at least two of those are almost certainly required...

In the book Nickel and Dimed, do you think discrimination shaped...

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:44:45 PST

In the book Nickel and Dimed, do you think discrimination shaped Ehrenreich's story? In what ways?

Crackdowns of any kind have a detrimental effect on employee morale....

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 15:49:50 PST

Crackdowns of any kind have a detrimental effect on employee morale. Nonetheless, employees also thrive when the organizational leadership is fair and equitable in its treatment of its workers. Most people recognize the importance of drug testing in certain environments, such as child welfare and transportation. Whether or not the testing negatively affects employees’ morale often is centered on how the company deals with those who test...

How can crackdowns and drug testing affect workers' morale, how could...

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 10:53:49 PST

How can crackdowns and drug testing affect workers' morale, how could American companies make the workplace safe and efficient without it?

what were the strengths of the author in Nickel and Dimed? and what were...

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:14:56 PST

what were the strengths of the author in Nickel and Dimed?

and what were her weaknesses?

When she is working as a maid in Maine, Barbara Ehrenreich develops a...

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:21:24 PST

When she is working as a maid in Maine, Barbara Ehrenreich develops a rash of unknown origin. She also begins to suffer from various aches and pains caused by the rigors of her job. Barbara is a writer for Harper's when she takes on the assignment of investigating the reality of what it is like to live on a minimum wage. She herself has managed to rise above a working-class background and is educated and financially comfortable. Barbara...

What is the ailment Barbara gets when she is in Maine in Nickel and...

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:10:30 PST

What is the ailment Barbara gets when she is in Maine in Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America.

What is the similarity and differnece between this story and...

Mon, 6 Apr 2009 08:11:00 PST

What is the similarity and differnece between this story and Emily martin "sperm and egg" essay?

1. The author was unaccustomed to that level of hard work and...

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 10:51:14 PST

1. The author was unaccustomed to that level of hard work and anonimity. “I’m also just sick of my suddenly acquired insignificance (p. 98). 2. She was on her hands and knees in front of another “human being” – subservience (p. 84) 3. Ms. Ehrenreich did not like the helpless positions of her co-workers. No benefits, low wages, long hours, hard work, difficult “pimp” boss.