People Like Us: Social Class in America. Dir. Louis Alvarez and Andy Kolker. Center for New American Media, 2001. Film.
Starting with the federal government’s distorted view on how wealth and status should be the factors that determines who runs the country and gradually moving to how easily this same ideal can rub off onto each individual’s idea of what their main focus should be it is relatively easy to see how those that are not up to par are deleted. Wi... ... middle of paper ... ...merica” is wrong. There are too many people born into unfortunate situations that will never get out of their horrible situations no matter how hard they work and no matter how many right choices they make. The federal level has the power to change the direction the nation is headed, but to them it is not necessary. To the rest of society it is crucial.
Cohen, Lisabeth. “A Consumers’ Republic.” The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America. New York: Appleton, 2000. 17-32. Print Garcia Lorca, Frederico.
In America, common belief is that one born with nothing can work hard to gain anything, when this is clearly not the case. People accept meager wages and conditions with the idea that it is simply a stepping-stone to better things. What causes some people to view their disadvantages as being positive? The newspaper, “The Economist”, believes that the success of minority figures such as Obama define a high degree social mobility in American culture. Many are not improving from their parent’s positions, and few maintain it if not falling below.
Enitially, she believe the jobs didn't require any skill but while on her journey she started to realize they were stressful and drained a lot of energy. In addition to that she saw it was almost impossible to get out of the rut of low paying professions once you're in. Barbra Ehrenreich moved throughout three locations attempting to prove her argument. In those states she obtained a job as a waitress, hotel maid, a cleaning woman, a nursing home aide, and a Wal-Mart sales clerk. Not only did she learn about the low wages but also the treatment that was shown to the workers.
Although it is true that these poor workers do have a way to earn an income now that industries are developing in their countries, they are, however, taken advantage by their corporate capitalists due to their desperate and helpless situation. Despite the new opportunity, it is obviou... ... middle of paper ... ...else that the international community should stop. (Compa, 2001) Works Cited Compa, Lance (2001, July 31). Ensuring a Decent Global Workplace. The Washington Post.
Minimum wage standards for American workers rest at $5.15 per hour, and in such slighted fields, very few make much more than that, perhaps $6-7, but even that is a rarity. The material life of a low-income employee includes bare necessities and next to zero luxuries. These workers often live paycheck to paycheck and never have a moment to fully enjoy life because they are constantly working, supporting themselves, and/or their families. Barbara Ehrenreich tries capturing this unacknowledged side of low wageworkers in her book, Nickel and Dimed, when she goes undercover as a fellow employee. Her real life accounts are noted as accurate and shocking as she brings the severity of poverty to the forefront for many Americans (Ehrenreich 3).
The “American Dream” is no longer an attainable idea, only a fantasy. The “American Dream” is not a true dream that will ever be equally attainable by everyone. The American dream is the general belief that American Citizens all have an equal opportunity to succeed socially and economically, regardless of any predating circumstances. This idea has been accepted as possible by the majority of citizens in this country. This “dream” cannot be true, as there are multiple discriminations in this country, which make it impossible for everyone to have the same chance to succeed.
The American People Creating a Nation and a Society. Gary B. Nash And Julie Roy Jeffrey. 4th ed. Brief. New York: Longman, 2003.
New York, NY: Worth Publishers, 2010. 13-22. Print. Buck, Pem Davidson. “Constructing Race, Creating White Privilege.” Race, Class, and Gender in the United States.