Nickel and Dimed

Nickel and Dimed Barbara Ehrenreichs book, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, describes the experiences the author went through when she forfeited her good life and went undercover so as to see for herself how it feels to work for an hourly wage of $6 to $7. Instead of simply listening to the accounts of other individuals, she decided to travel to Florida, Maine, and Minnesota, with the intention of assuming the role of a minimum wage employee. Ehrenreich worked and lodged in every location for about a month. Although she was working full time, she found it hard to meet her needs adequately and she was often forced to do two jobs at a time to make ends meet. The author decided to go on this experiment with the intention of establishing whether the amount of money paid to low-wage workers is enough for their sustenance. Ehrenreich’s expose ´ has revealed so many things to me concerning the situation of the low-wage workers in America. Whereas the experiences that the author und erwent were captivating, I did not get the feeling that she really anticipated to achieve something in her tricky experiment. However, after getting her point of view from her personal experiences, the difference between the rich and the poor has become even more apparent to me.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Nickel and Dimed specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To start her experiment, Ehrenreich decided to go to Key West, Florida, which was near her home to try to find an employment there (Ehrenreich, 2008). Luckily, she got recruited to work as a waitress in a diner-style restaurant and found an efficiency apartment thirty miles away from the city to live in. However, the payment she received from the job was hardly adequate to sustain her and pay for the next month’s rent. As a result, she opted for a second job at a local hotel to work as a maid. Interestingly, she was unable to cope with the two jobs. Ehrenreich then left the maid position after one day and the waitress position also became equally demanding. Therefore, she quitted the job even before the end of the month. After departing from Florida, Ehrenreich went to Portland, Maine, where she managed to get a job with The Maids, a residential housekeeping service, and she also worked as a dietary aide in a nursing home so as to make ends meet. The two jobs forced her to work for seven days a week and she managed to stick it out until the end of the month. She found that working with The Maids was both physically demanding and paying meager wages. In addition, she felt that the work was degrading to her. A notable experience she describes is when one of the maids got injured while performing her duties and although she unsuccessfully tried to thwart the normal operations at the residential housekeeping service, she managed to convince the management to give the injured maid a day off. Serving in the nursing home, the author found herself attending to the needs of all the patients in the whole Alzheimer’s section. And, she feared making any mistake that could cause more harm to her patients as she had little experience on the job. The third location chosen for the experiment was Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she found it more difficult both to get an employment opportunity and a reasonably priced apartment to stay in. It was hard for her to get an apartment in the city because the vacancy rate was less than one percent. Nonetheless, after spirited attempts, she was employed by Wal-Mart as a â€Å"softlines† worker and she found a rundown motel to stay in, which threatened her safety and proper sleep at night. Thus, to improve her conditions of living, she moved to a nicer hotel. The work at Wal-Mart was not only repetitive and monotonous, but also extremely low paying that made her to struggle in meeting her needs.Advertising Looking for term paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This made her to believe that the workers at the company are working themselves too hard compared to the meager wages they receive. Interestingly, when she was leaving every job in all the three locations, she never witnessed a dramatic response from the workers she revealed to that her main intention was to write a book about her experiences. The employees seemed to be caught up so much in their low paying jobs that none of them showed any interest in her candid reasons for vacating the positions. Reading the experiences that Ehrenreich went through surprised and shocked me, as well. Importantly, it made me change my perception about the individuals in America who survive on low-wage jobs. Although I had the opinion that individuals living in trailer apartments were finding it hard to make ends meet, I had not fully thought that they were living in deplorable conditions that even affording a trailer a partment would seem difficult. Worth mentioning, I also considered that individuals on low-wage job would be capable of meeting at least their basic needs such as adequate food and shelter. However, reading the book immediately opened my eyes concerning how much those on minimum wage work so hard to afford the basic items, not mentioning the luxuries. Nickel and Dimed reveals this problem through the experiences that the author went through in different locations in the United States. The astounding expose ´ that the author makes has changed my opinion regarding a number of social issues. I agree with the author’s claim that minimum wage employees represent the largest, most philanthropic category of the American workforce because of the many challenges that they have to tackle in order to survive. Notably, Ehrenreich’s argument has made me to realize that minimum wage workers in America are maybe one of the most ignored segments of the country’s workforce. Th e topic on how much an American worker should be paid at minimum is often a controversial one (Waltman, 2000). The issue often ignites debates in the social and political spheres. However, as Ehrenreich points out, few individuals are really interested in ways of improving the lives of the low-wage earners. When legislation is passed to increase the amount of minimum wage in the country, the government and others usually pay more attention on the response of the employers while disregarding the effects of this in the real lives of the recipients of the legislation.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Nickel and Dimed specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The book has succeeding in revealing this great deal of social discrimination that is still prevalent in the American society. Consequently, the course of low-wage earners is still severely hurt. Before reading the book, I had the perception that minimum wage jobs did n ot require any â€Å"skills† to perform. However, the explanation that Ehrenreich gives has made me to think otherwise. Ehrenreich, a journalist with a Ph.D. degree, discovered that manual labor was physically demanding, boring, humiliating, and needed incredible acts of resilience, focus, good and fast thinking, and accuracy to perform. She also found out that continuous and recurring movement leads to the risk of cumulative trauma disorder (CT). For one to deliver results as a minimum wage worker, one must be able to endure pain so as to hold a position in a market with constant returns. In addition, Ehrenreich points out the malpractices of the people in the management position who make the whole experience of low-wage earners to be even more dejected. They often disrupt the employees productivity and compel those they supervise to perform degrading and uninteresting duties. In the book, Ehrenreich details the problems and sufferings of the individuals who, either due to l ack of experience or other causes, have to commence their careers at the bottom by earning low-wages. Her explanation reveals that they find it hard to get by, and even more difficult to forge ways ahead. I would also expect it to be full of hardships and difficulties. However, I am not certain if the author expected it to be so difficult and I am also not certain if her experience was long enough to enable her make the assertions or if she did her best in her undercover investigations. Nonetheless, as pointed out earlier, many of the issues she has raised are factual. The thought provoking book, Nickel and Dimed, was well-written and it is worth reading for opening the eyes of the readers regarding minimum wage employment in America. Reference List Ehrenreich, B. (2008). Nickel and dimed: on (not) getting by in America. New York: Henry Holt Co. Waltman, J. L. (2000). The Politics of the minimum wage. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press.Advertising Looking for term paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article - Essay Example This has been substantiated in the most recent episode of Paul Shrode, wherein the city's former Deputy Medical Examiner has admitted that he lied on his resume to secure the position of Chief Medical Examiner in El Paso County† (Go Articles). This glaring incident and the periodic problems with the Houston Police Department crime lab only proved that there is doubtful integrity in the field of forensic sciences. Thus, it is for this reason that the author suggested that criminal defense attorneys should challenge every piece of forensic evidence presented before them, and outweigh its reliability before declaring it as admissible evidence. Criminal defense attorneys should refrain from accepting ‘expert’ testimony as gospel truth and upholding it as reliable as such, regardless of whether the trial court accepts the witness to be qualified to give the expert testimony of the issued in question. â€Å"They contribute to the popular acceptance among most jurors tha t "forensic evidence" is infallible when, in truth, the evidence analysis methodologies used in most of this science have never been validated and the end results have been tragic† (Go Articles). I fully agree with is the analysis of the writer.

The impact of globalization on HRM in multinational organizations Assignment

The impact of globalization on HRM in multinational organizations - Assignment Example It has brought about an integration of the companies all over the world and has facilitated trade by way of reducing transportation costs and doing away with the barriers to trade. Globalisation has also facilitated a free flow of goods and service, knowledge, skills, capital and labour. During a strong economic growth period world exports shot up in various countries thereby contributing heavily to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Previously, human resource management (HRM) was typically concerned with the cost cutting activities and the administrative activities, focusing on bringing about efficiency in the system and the minimised the cost. However in the present world the role of HRM has changed and focuses on an organization’s long-term objective. The companies’ business strategies were affected by globalisation in a large manner. The companies had access to a large variety of markets and could market their products in global markets. The emerging markets of the developing countries are of lucrative content to such MNCs who are looking to diversify. Due to the emergence of new markets the external financing sources of the companies also increase. A very important source of financing is Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) that has opened avenues for the MNCs to invest in the developing countries. FDI has a dual benefit to both the country and the company. There is a global market for the products of the MNCs. Moreover due to abundance of labour resources in the developing countries the MNCs often shift their production processes to such countries such that they can carry out production at low costs. Also the political stabilisations across the globe and the favourable relations between the countries have made positive impac ts on the strategic positions of the companies. The socio-political globalisation has given rise to regulatory bodies that govern the different policies that mark the path of trade between various companies. The most

Reading response on Communication Essay Example for Free

Reading response on Communication Essay For any effective communication, there must be understanding between the parties involved. This will therefore depend on the medium used and consideration of the barriers to effective communication. Students depend on communication to learn and when it is effective and inclusive, they get opportunities to grow and learn. In education, parents who are magnetic involve themselves in finding opportunities for their children. This is by involving the community at large and the administration to get opportunities for their children(Henderson, 297). Other parents are not concerned, which leads to inequality between the different children. Other families plan a teacher visit to the family, which increases unity and communication. When a teacher, parent and a student have a close relationship, they facilitate ample communication that leads to growth and opportunities. Accordind to (Mediratta, 32), for one to create opportunities that leads to growth among children, there should be a link between the outside of the school and the culture in the school. This is because the teachers do not understand the base the children are coming from especially in boarding schools. The power issue of the teachers goes down when the parents and their children mingles freely with the children which increases communication avenues. Poor families lack even the basic needs which make their students lack concentration due to the stress of their homes. This leads to inequality in the opportunities to children from richer families. Creating a link between the families and the general community leads to expansion of the communication network which leads to opportunities and growth. This addresses structural inequality and enables student from poor families learn and have good health. According to WARREN, (15), translation of important information to languages that learners understands leads to effective communication. Those who understands the foreign language have added advantage to those who can not. A barrier to translation is money to pay the translators and some parents lack the time to opportunity talk. In opportunity talks, the issue of freedom when talking is an issue due to distrust among members in the society(Zehr, 8). Relationships that can be trusted spread opportunities and this is true with parents who create friendship with their children’s teachers as they create trust between them. This is different from the parents who can not create this relationshipthat lead to disadvantage on their students’ opportunities. Organizing and planning for events for the school with older people with children improves their skills and confidence. This boosts their opportunities and improves their communication prowess unlike those who do not involve themselves in such programs. References Henderson, T Anne, Johnson Vivian, Mapp Karen, and Davies Don. Selection from Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family/School Partnerships. New York: The New Press, (2007): 296-301 Mediratta, Kavitha, Shah Seema, and McAlister Sara.Building Partnerships to Reinvent School Culture: Austin Interfaith. Providence, RI: Annenberg Institute for School Reform. Mark Warren, â€Å"Communities and Schools.†(2009):1-49. Print. WARREN, MARK. Communities And Schools: A New View Of Urban Education Reform. Harvard Educational Review 2.75 (2005): 1-40. Print. Zehr, M. A. Civil Rights Deal Signals Federal Push for Translation Services. Education Week, (2011): 30(3), 8-9. Source document

Business Plan for a Car Wash Essay example -- essays research papers

1.0 BUSINESS PROFILE 1.1 Business Description Modern people are very busy and they often neglect to clean their cars, and sometimes the limited living space also is the problem for the people who want to clean their car but they do not have space to clean their car, especially in Taiwan. Therefore, the car wash shops are increasing quickly, and people are happy to send their cars there. In Taiwan, hand-washing cars is more popular, because the customers think using hands to wash is softer. It does not damage the pain of the cars, and it is a luxury way to take care their cars. Kevin Car Wash ( ¨Ã¢â‚¬ËœKCW) business is a newly established car washing company located in the city of Kaoshung, in the south of Taiwan.  ¨Ã¢â‚¬ËœKCW was established to cater for people who are busy and often neglect to clean their cars as well as those people who have difficulty cleaning their cars at their homes because they do not have an available area. Taiwanese people believe that washing cars by hand is better for the cars paint because washing by hand is softer than by mechanical washing. This car washing shop will be about 100~150 squares in size and will be located on the corner of the street in the central. 1.2 Business Mission Statement  ¨Ã¢â‚¬ËœKCW is dedicated to providing its customers the ultimate car wash & care experience. Focusing all of its energy and resources on customer satisfaction and value, while providing owners and employees an excellent reward. 1.3 Situation Analysis  ¨Ã¢â‚¬ËœKCW is entering their first year of operation. Kevin believes that a comprehensive marketing strategy will be key to the success of the business.  ¨Ã¢â‚¬ËœKCW offers a premium hand car washing service provided by a well-known local family. The basic market need is a premium car washing service that is far less abrasive than the traditional automatic car washes. 1.3.1 Pest Analysis Political Factors Economic Factors Social Factors Technical Factors 1.4 SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures the key strength and weaknesses within the company, and describes the opportunities and threats facing  ¨Ã¢â‚¬ËœKCW. 1.4.1 Strengths  ¡Ã‚ ¤Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Good relationships with many perspective customers in the target market.  ¡Ã‚ ¤Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strong family name recognition and equity in the community.  ¡Ã‚ ¤Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well trained employees. 1.4.2 Weaknesses  ¡Ã‚ ¤Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The need... ...le risk, and it may cause the price of petrol to getting higher; the exchange rate of currency to change. If the price of petrol gets higher and the exchange rate of currency is changed this will decrease the usage and sales of cars. Under this situation, the car washing shop will decrease the demands from the car drivers. They prefer to use the public transportation than using their own cars. Furthermore, the environment regulation is the important issue that  ¨Ã¢â‚¬ËœKCW need to consider all the time, because if my car washing shop disobeys the rules, the shop may lose its the operation license or even be closed down by the law. 8.2 Contingency Plan To create a contingency plan  ¨Ã¢â‚¬ËœKCW are considering the following factor and areas. Again, once  ¨Ã¢â‚¬ËœKCW has this plan will help its operation and compete with its competitor. Difficulties and Risks  ¡Ã‚ ¤Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Problems generating visibility.  ¡Ã‚ ¤Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overly aggressive and debilitating actions by competitors. Worst Case Risks May Include  ¡Ã‚ ¤Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Determining that the business cannot support itself on an ongoing basis.  ¡Ã‚ ¤Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Having to liquidate equipment to cover liabilities. REFERENCES 1. http://www.glaze.com.tw/procedure1.htm

Palestine vs. Israel

Palestinians deserve to have peace after what had happened in Gaza, I mean, who would dare hurt the people and the earth itself. It's causing agony to the Palestinians when they did nothing but willing to share, however the Hams were involved in payback towards the Israel's which is probably a smart idea for them. Although, what the Hams did to get revenge was Just thoughtless of what they did because first they are unprepared to defend their area. And their area is beneath, down in the basement with no secure at all.What's depressing of all is hearing and seeing innocent children get killed by a bomb that was not smart of the Israel's. Recently, they shot a bomb at an elementary school where hundreds or thousands of children died and it was Just truly Especially for the littlest ones who are scared out of their wits! I can't even imagine the danger that is going on and â€Å"if I were to† experience a â€Å"life or death† situation, it would be terrifying. Also, within my soul; I can feel the excruciating pain from the Palestinians because of the sympathy I have ND it's as well as I should say that I AM one of THEM!What irks me the most are the people who are Just watching the torturous event happen which is dumb not do take a stand for what is obviously right and I honestly wish I can do something, but at age fifteen I appear to be too young (Yet, I did not say that I won't do anything when clearly I will as I get older, but the simplest thing that I can do is write a heartfelt letter to the people of this world and for them to briefly be inspired by it as I will too) o do anything extraordinary by changing the Middle East into peace between Israel and Palestine.I do BELIEVE that I can definitely transform the negativity energy with a much positive aspect for the people who need It and deserve It. There will be a chance to spread the Word that Is needed to be HEARD In order to bring PEACE for our people In the Middle EAST of a Land that will soo n be called (In my opinion) â€Å"Plasterer† as an official name. Everything Is possible If the World gathers together to unite!! Palestine vs. Israel Palestinians deserve to have peace after what had happened in Gaza, I mean, who would dare hurt the people and the earth itself. It's causing agony to the Palestinians when they did nothing but willing to share, however the Hams were involved in payback towards the Israel's which is probably a smart idea for them. Although, what the Hams did to get revenge was Just thoughtless of what they did because first they are unprepared to defend their area. And their area is beneath, down in the basement with no secure at all.What's depressing of all is hearing and seeing innocent children get killed by a bomb that was not smart of the Israel's. Recently, they shot a bomb at an elementary school where hundreds or thousands of children died and it was Just truly Especially for the littlest ones who are scared out of their wits! I can't even imagine the danger that is going on and â€Å"if I were to† experience a â€Å"life or death† situation, it would be terrifying. Also, within my soul; I can feel the excruciating pain from the Palestinians because of the sympathy I have ND it's as well as I should say that I AM one of THEM!What irks me the most are the people who are Just watching the torturous event happen which is dumb not do take a stand for what is obviously right and I honestly wish I can do something, but at age fifteen I appear to be too young (Yet, I did not say that I won't do anything when clearly I will as I get older, but the simplest thing that I can do is write a heartfelt letter to the people of this world and for them to briefly be inspired by it as I will too) o do anything extraordinary by changing the Middle East into peace between Israel and Palestine.I do BELIEVE that I can definitely transform the negativity energy with a much positive aspect for the people who need It and deserve It. There will be a chance to spread the Word that Is needed to be HEARD In order to bring PEACE for our people In the Middle EAST of a Land that will soo n be called (In my opinion) â€Å"Plasterer† as an official name. Everything Is possible If the World gathers together to unite!!

Planning Care That Will Empower Individuals - 1570 Words

circumstances can be taken into account when planning care that will empower individuals. I will use a variety of examples from health and social care. I will also extend these examples by assessing the potential difficulties in taking individual circumstances into account when planning care that will empower an individual, and make suggestions for improvement. Case study 1: Communication Rebecca and Nigel Smyth live with their three year old daughter, Helen, in a pleasant suburb at the edge of a large city. Helen has autism and attends a special nursery in the city four times a week. As Helen’s speech is not progressing at the rate expected for her age, the GP has referred her to Teresa, a speech and language therapist. Teresa has worked with Rebecca and Nigel, showing them how to encourage Helen. She has asked them for information about Helen, calling them ‘the experts’. Rebecca and Nigel feel that Teresa shared the support and planning for Helen with them and this has encouraged them to work with her as partners. In this case study Helen has autism and the speech and language therapist is able to work very closely with Helen’s parent. Every child’s parents know their child better than anyone else as they are with them 24/7. However Helen can only be helped to a certain extent, not every parent will have the same amount of time to care for their child. We have found out that Helen goes to a special nursery but not every child gets the same amount of help Helen is gettingShow MoreRelatedmiss1688 Words   |  7 Pagesassessment tools involved in planning support for individuals with different needs who use social services M2- Describe how three key professionals could be involved in planning support for individuals. 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The first stage in theRead MoreHealth and Social Care- Case Study- P3/P4/M2/D2 Essay examples1339 Words   |  6 PagesDescribe ways in which care workers can empower Individuals (P3)Explain why it is important to take individual circumstances into account when planning care that will empower an individual, using relevant example from health and social care (P4)Discuss the extent to which individual circumstances can be taken into account when planning care that will empower them, using relevant examples from health and social care (M2)Assess the potential difficulties in taking individual circumstances into accountRead MoreApplication Of An Electronic Health Record1272 Words   |  6 PagesEmpower As a nurse facilitator walking into a room of disgruntled nurses, the task of planning or an electronic medical record adoption will not be an easy task. However, with the right approach, this endeavor can be motivating. 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Nurses deal withRead MoreValues and Principles Which Underpin Planning and Support Essay1050 Words   |  5 PagesTask 1: Values and principles which underpin planning and support â€Å"Explain how the application of relevant principles and values will enable professionals to provide holistic support for individuals who use social services.† (P1) Holistic support is providing care by a holistic approach to improve an individual’s quality of life not only physically but also intellectually, emotionally, socially, culturally and spiritually. Values are beliefs people are about what is important and morally rightRead MorePreferences, Preferences, Wishess And Needs1251 Words   |  6 Pagesable to lead a person-centred practice 2.1 Support others to work with individuals to establish their history, preferences, wishes and needs Individuals should be as involved as much as possible in the decision making process regarding the organisations and disciplines they require to ensure that the contributions to their care package are appropriate and required. If everyone works from the same information and the individuals needs and preferences are at the centre of the information all the organizationsRead MoreThe Theory Of Community Empowerment1522 Words   |  7 Pagesreciprocal health. This theory is designed to incorporate and empower everyone involved. By empowering the community of nurses and sustaining employee engagement, patient and employee satisfaction would remain the same, if not increase (6 Leadership strategies for navigating perpetual change in healthcare, 2015). Change is tough for most people and the time to adjust varies with each individual. Taking some time to acknowledge each individual and their needs is an important factor to being a great leader