Coherent essay analyzing and discussing the issue presented in Ehrenseich’s Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, apply sociological theory and articulate your opinion on it.
1. Clearly and concisely explain Ehrenseich’s purpose in writing this book. What was she trying to uncover or discover? What does her work indicate about the inequality of opportunity and condition in our country? How do you think Ehrenreich’s experience may have been different if she had been a person of color or a single parent?
2. Pick a theoretical perspective that has been discussed in the text. Make sure you understand the key concepts, some of the propositions that come out of the theory, and how people who use the theory to study society do so. Give a broad sense of why you’ve chosen the theory and what it has to offer in explaining the issue you have chosen. Properly define ALL concepts and theories used in your paper.
3. What critique(s) do you have of the book? For a critique, it is not sufficient just to say “I didn’t like the writing” or “I liked it.” Explain why you did or did not like the chapter–and support your critique sociologically. In other words, provide substantive sociological explanations for your positive and negative criticisms.
This paper should be a thoughtful, creative, synthetic, well-written analysis of a social issue as seen through the eyes of someone who is familiar with theories and research in the sociology of inequality.