Nickel and Dimed: Stratified American Society
According to Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, the common belief that hard work leads to a successful life in the United States of America, regardless of one’s cultural and economic background, is only an encouraging fabrication. Gender inequality is only one specimen demolishing the manifest American Dream by, for instance, the lack of women in managerial positions, as well as gender-neutral performance evaluation and equal pay. Ehrenreich experienced discrimination against the working class in an allegedly classless society, and proved once again the idea of equality wrong.
Those who gave up on the idea of equality are devided on two conflicted theories of social stratification. One theory states that inequalities are good for society, arguing that some individuals are designed for a certain position, which gives them instant advantage over the others. Barbara Ehrenreich attests the aforementioned …show more content…
Nickel and Dimed portrays a different reality – the reality of the working poor. They are the ones who feel the effect of social stratification. It creates a small, powerful group of individuals and a large group of low wage, working class citizens; and those in power are ready to create further disadvantages for the working class in order to stay there. Ehrenreich noticed that the low-wage employees are not being rewarded for their efficiency, which causes employees to put just enough effort not to get fired, instead of realizing their full potential. Other tactics, such as false consciousness, are used to make employees feel as part of the family. They are given the false feeling that their opinion matters, their ideas are welcome. It is all with the aim to discourage the working poor from fighting back or joining a
According to Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, the common belief that hard work leads to a successful life in the United States of America, regardless of one’s cultural and economic background, is only an encouraging fabrication. Gender inequality is only one specimen demolishing the manifest American Dream by, for instance, the lack of women in managerial positions, as well as gender-neutral performance evaluation and equal pay. Ehrenreich experienced discrimination against the working class in an allegedly classless society, and proved once again the idea of equality wrong.
Those who gave up on the idea of equality are devided on two conflicted theories of social stratification. One theory states that inequalities are good for society, arguing that some individuals are designed for a certain position, which gives them instant advantage over the others. Barbara Ehrenreich attests the aforementioned …show more content…
Nickel and Dimed portrays a different reality – the reality of the working poor. They are the ones who feel the effect of social stratification. It creates a small, powerful group of individuals and a large group of low wage, working class citizens; and those in power are ready to create further disadvantages for the working class in order to stay there. Ehrenreich noticed that the low-wage employees are not being rewarded for their efficiency, which causes employees to put just enough effort not to get fired, instead of realizing their full potential. Other tactics, such as false consciousness, are used to make employees feel as part of the family. They are given the false feeling that their opinion matters, their ideas are welcome. It is all with the aim to discourage the working poor from fighting back or joining a