Nickel and Dimed
Evaluation
Barbara Ehrenreich
Poverty
100
What year was this project started?
1998
100
How did Barbara think she did overall in her jobs?
She thinks she did well
100
What does Barbara have a Ph.D. in?
Biology
100
What is minimum wage?
the lowest wage permitted by law or special agreement
200
What year was the book published?
2001
200
Barbara says no job is truly _______?
unskilled
200
What jobs did Barbara do throughout the book? (name at least four)
waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing-home aide, and Wal-Mart salesperson
200
What is living wage?
a wage that is high enough to maintain a normal standard of living
300
How long did she do this experiment?
3 months
300
What is the problem Barbara concludes about rent and pay?
rent is too high and pay is too low
300
What are some ways Barbara cheated during the project?
she had drove her car, she refused to go hungry, and she would not go homeless
300
How can someone working minimum wage live indoors?
By having at least 2 jobs
400
What was Ehrenreich's purpose for the Nickel and Dimed project?
To find out how anyone can survive on $6 to $7 an hour on minimum wage
400
What did all the jobs she do require?
mental and physical efforts
400
What year was she born?
1941
400
About how much of the world's population live in poverty?
Nearly 1/2
500
What inspired her to do this project?
the impact of the 1996 welfare reform act
500
What surprised Barbara about her living as a low-waged worker?
she was given a free car and higher education, yet she still struggled
500
What college did she attend before Rockefeller University?
Reed College
500
Why don't low wage workers revolt for better pay or treatment?
They depend on their jobs and live on their daily salary: if they revolt, it could result in job loss/and possibly losing their home
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