University 100 Nickel and Dimed Study Guides
Introduction (pp. 1-10), due 1/22, minimum 400 words.
List the guidelines Ehrenreich established for herself in the experiment: what she would and what she
wouldn’t do (for example, having a vehicle, but not going hungry). How realistic are these goals for
people working below a minimum wage? Explain your viewpoint. What guidelines would you establish
for yourself if you were to do this experiment? Why would those guidelines be important for you to
observe?
Chapter 1: Serving in Florida (pp. 11-49), due 1/27, minimum 400 words.
Have you had a job similar to the author’s jobs in Key West (waiting tables, housekeeping) where you’ve
had problems with unreasonable bosses, like Stu and Joy? Write a brief explanation of a job you’ve had,
and describe how it was similar, and how it was different from Ehrenreich’s experiences at .Hearthside
and Jerry’s restaurants, and at the hotel attached to Jerry’s. What did you learn from the experience?
If you haven’t had a job, discuss a stressful project or assignment you’ve had to complete in school.
How did you deal with the deadlines and with the stress? Did you develop any strategies to overcome
the problems in the situation? Explain.
Chapter 2: Scrubbing in Maine (pp. 51-119), due 1/29, minimum 400 words.
People often give the “right” answers that may not be the truth, as Ehrenreich did on her job
application. Why should/shouldn’t people always tell the truth, both in their personal and working
lives? Explain your argument, using an example (or two) from your own experience.
Chapter 3: Selling in Minnesota (pp. 120-191), due 2/3, minimum 400 words.
Describe a situation when you “turned mean” because of the stress or pressure of work or school. What
was the reason, who was involved, and how did you resolve the issue? Compare this with Ehrenreich’s
description of her own regression at Wal-Mart from “aggressive hospitality” to “aggressive hostility”
(see p. 166 ff.)
Evaluation (pp. 193-221), due 2/5, minimum 400 words.
Ehrenreich says that employees lose their civil liberties on the job, and she expresses surprise that
workers don’t exert “counter-pressure” on employers who don’t treat them decently (see p. 204 ff.).
The suggestion is that workers lack knowledge of other options, and often feel alone in their struggles.
What’s your experience of this? Have you ever protested working conditions, either on the job or in
your academic life? Have you considered this option? What would happen if you did? Explain.
Afterword (pp. 223-235), due 2/10, minimum 400 words.
This section was written seven years after Nickel and Dimed was published. During the past year, 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.
Riggs rev. 1/09