Many believe that all those who are poor and homeless are those who do not hold a job position and are only surviving on funds received through governmental aid. Barbara Ehrenreich’s essay called “Nickel-and-Dimed on (Not) Getting By in America” it is proven that this is not the case. Barbara sets out on a journey and decides to plunge into the workforce of a low-wage worker by utilizing the research method of participant observation. She isn’t entirely experiencing the true life of a poor person. She acknowledges that she is healthy, has no children to take care of, and has many real-life assets such as a bank account and health insurance that hold her back from experiencing this to the fullest (Ehrenreich 2005). This experience is in part to see if she can find equilibrium between her income and the expenses she encounters along the way.
Barbara starts off …show more content…
After doing calculations, she figures out she is making $5.15 an hour. This wage is substantially lower than what the National Coalition for the Homeless calculated in 1998 to be an appropriate hourly wage to afford a one-bedroom apartment. The wage calculated was $8.89 (Ehrenreich 2005). This essay was published in 2001, so due to inflation at this time this number would most likely be somewhat increased. For many people, they believe that their working condition is sustainable, even when making less than the allotted appropriate amount. Due to circumstances that are uncontrollable, such as the tourist business slowing down, a barely sustainable job making lower than this amount can turn quickly into an even worse unsustainable one. Minor changes that are out of the control of workers can shift your condition for the worst. Being poor and working a low-wage job is the equivalent of living on the edge with no way of staying
Barbara starts off …show more content…
After doing calculations, she figures out she is making $5.15 an hour. This wage is substantially lower than what the National Coalition for the Homeless calculated in 1998 to be an appropriate hourly wage to afford a one-bedroom apartment. The wage calculated was $8.89 (Ehrenreich 2005). This essay was published in 2001, so due to inflation at this time this number would most likely be somewhat increased. For many people, they believe that their working condition is sustainable, even when making less than the allotted appropriate amount. Due to circumstances that are uncontrollable, such as the tourist business slowing down, a barely sustainable job making lower than this amount can turn quickly into an even worse unsustainable one. Minor changes that are out of the control of workers can shift your condition for the worst. Being poor and working a low-wage job is the equivalent of living on the edge with no way of staying