Sociology/Economics

Summer Reading 2014-2015

Due:First day of Class (No exceptions) September 2014

Weight: Quiz Grade

Format:MLA Format

12 pt Times New Roman

Double spaced

1” margins

Assignment:Read Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) getting By in America

By Barbara Ehren

Metropolitan Books, 2010

You can find this book on Amazon, at a book store or library, or use the Kindle or Nook e-book edition. You do not have to bring the book to class.

The book hasthe following (5) sections:

  1. “Introduction:Getting Ready”
  2. “ServinginFlorida”
  3. “ScrubbinginMaine”
  4. “SellinginMinnesota”
  5. “Evaluation”

Attheendofeachsection,writeanoverallresponsetothatsection.Eachresponse

shouldbe no less than 400 words..Thepromptsforeachsectionareprovidedbelow:

  1. Introduction:GettingReady

DiscusstheguidelinesEhrenreichestablishesforherselfintheexperiment: whatshewould

andwhatshewouldn’tdo(forexample,havingavehicle,butnotgoinghungry).Howrealistic

arethesegoalsforpeopleworkingbelowaminimumwage? Explainyourviewpoint.What

guidelineswouldyouestablishforyourselfifyouweretodothisexperiment? Whywould

thoseguidelinesbeimportantforyoutoobserve?

  1. Chapter1: ServinginFlorida

Haveyouhadajobsimilartotheauthor’sjobsinKeyWest(waitingtables,housekeeping)

whereyou’vehadproblemswithunreasonablebossessuchasStuandJoy?Writeabrief

explanationofajobyou’vehad,anddescribehowitwassimilar,andhowitwasdifferentfromEhrenreich’sexperiences.Whatdidyoulearnfromtheexperience?Ifyouhaven’thadajob,

discussastressfulprojectorassignmentyou’vehadtocompleteinschool.Howdidyoudeal

withthedeadlinesandwiththestress?Didyoudevelopanystrategiestoovercomethe

problemsinthesituation?Remembertodescribehowyoursituationwassimilar,andhowit

wasdifferentfromEhrenreich’sexperiences.

  1. Chapter2: ScrubbinginMaine

Peopleoftengivethe“right”answersthatmaynotbethetruth,asEhrenreichdidonherjob

application.Whyshould/shouldn’tpeoplealwaystellthetruth,bothintheirpersonaland

workinglives? Explainyourargument,usingexamplesfromyourownexperience.

  1. Chapter3: SellinginMinnesota

Asareader,wegettoknowmanyofEhrenreich'scoworkers.Whydoestheauthoruse

personalnarrativesinNickelandDimed?Fromthissection,chooseoneperson'sstoryto

examine.WhatisEhrenreich’spurposeintellingthisparticularstory?

  1. EvaluationandAfterword

This section was written seven years afterNickel and Dimedwas published.Since then, the economy has suffered even more severe reversals.Discuss these areas in which the economic downturn is affecting the lives of students:housing, transportation, tuition, food costs and the prices of goods and services.Which of these sectors will cause the most difficulty for students?Explain your answer.

If you should have any questions, please email me, Mrs.Murphy, at . Enjoy your summer.