Blog Assignment #3
Post the draft of the first assignment sometime before your conference on Monday. The sooner you post it, the more time I will have to review it and the more good I will do you. Also, it'll do you some good to see what others are writing, so make sure to check out the drafts of other students.
You can bring the draft of the assignment to your Monday conference in two forms. Either bring along two hardcopies or email me the text as a Word file.
Good luck, have fun, and may the Muses be with you.
Tom Burns
tlburns@owu.edu
Megan McConnell
ReplyDeleteOption 1
PART ONE:
How often do we sit down in a restaurant and complain to the server host about the service, knowing full well that she or he was the person cooking the food, or controlling the volume of people in the place? And when do we let our frustrations invade our solidarity towards people that are serving us? In Nickel and Dimed, Barbara expresses contempt for hiring a maid for herself because she would not want to have a relationship like that with another person. I think that undermines her entire work by stating that she will never hire a maid because the book, to me, was her gaining respect and understanding for the working poor. There should not be a difference between hiring a maid and hiring any other type of service because every employee should be treated with respect.
I can understand the embarrassment or the shame of having to ask for help or the odd relationship between someone who can afford to hire a cleaning service and the cleaner, but I do not think that this is a good reason to say that you would never hire someone. In fact, I am surprised that she would not try to hire more people because it would put money in their pockets, especially at her income level. If she is upset with the way that maids are treated in the industry, the way to solve that problem is not by hiring a maid; it would be by advocating for change in some other way. Her striking will not solve the problem since there will always be someone that needs that job and can put up with the stress, at least for a little while. Treating these workers the way they should be treated is the only way to fix the problem.
Part 2:
ReplyDeleteRespect for workers or employees should be on the top of the to-do list since its imperative that we remember how to be people instead of being wrapped up in technology and material things. As for the employer, they need to give their employees trust. Things like surveillance cameras on the workers, and fingerprinting or background checks can violate that trust, especially if there is no reason to expect this. Not that I condone hiring criminals, as I think that drug testing before the hire is not a violation of the trust, however, random drug testing at any point in time is a little excessive. If an employer trusts their employees then they will have happier workers, which makes for a better work environment. Along with trust, employers also need to understand the needs of their workers so that they can help them succeed instead of fail (and their company as well). Giving employees adequate breaks and constructive criticism instead of yelling at them, makes for a better environment. If people want to work there the employee will want to do a good job, instead of taking hours to vacuuming to avoid other tasks, as Barbara points out she did while she was a waitress at Hearthside. Physically, the employees also need proper equipment to do their jobs, as Barb did not have kneepads to scrub a marble floor in Maine. Workers also need proper hours and appropriate wages in order to stay healthy and keep a healthy diet. If they cannot afford a place to live or a decent meal, how can they perform for their jobs? It is a shame that jobs that would normally be taken by part-time high school or college students are used as living wages for all ages.
As for customers, it is important that we give compliments when appropriate and if we do complain, we complain about what the problem was not about the person. This makes the problem less stressful for the server or cleaning person because the complaint is much more pleasantly stated. It is also appropriate to say please and thank you and actually mean it, and reward people with tips for good service. As Barb expresses her dislike for one man that came through the restaurant, “Or the guy with the crucifixion T-shirt who complains that his baked potato is too hard and his iced tea too I (I cheerfully fix both) and leaves no tip at all. As a general rule people wearing crosses or WWJD? Buttons look at us disapprovingly no matter what we do, as if they were confusing waitressing with Mary Magdalene’s original profession,” (36). While customers like this are not the norm, every customer should make an effort to be grateful for the service they received, even outside of money, treating people like people is never a bad thing.
I also see no reasoning in her not hiring a maid, but hiring other services. I am sure that she uses a dry-cleaning service, or goes to the grocery store, and gets her car serviced. There is no reason that there should be differences between the types of services if she has the same respect for the people doing the different jobs. If all employees and workers were treated with respect then people would be more aware of the “state of emergency” as Barbara calls it, and resolve the unbalance that exists in our country.
In America, roughly 25% of the population is classified as “poor.” For a country that is often referred to as “the promised land” and a place where people come for a better life, there is something wrong with this picture. Obviously, this is a problem that can only be resolved at the root of our economy; however, the majority of the population that is not classified as lower class tends to not recognize or respect the work that people in menial wage jobs perform. This in itself causes major problems on every level of the so-called “machine.” In Barbara Erinreich’s novel “Nickel and Dimed,” she illustrates this lack of respect on both a societal and personal. Through these examples and personal experience, it is clear that the group of people working menial wage jobs receive little respect and recognition, and in many times all of the blame.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of America comes in contact with low wage workers almost daily, however, it is rare that this percentage of the population takes time to recognize the importance of this group or show them the respect that they deserve. Erinreich states on page 11, “In this parallel universe…I am ‘baby,’ ‘honey,’ ‘blondie,’ and most commonly, ‘girl.’” This, among many other accounts in the novel, illustrate that to many people, low wage workers are not deserving of the title of ma’am or even miss. While this may seem like an insignificant point to many, if one stops to think about the effect this would have on a person’s self esteem, it is clear that even this level of disrespect is a problem. Many of the people in these jobs are middle aged and often working to support their families at home, and when referred to as “girl” by the people that they are performing a service for, it is easy to see the negative effect this would take on someone’s psyche. Not only would it make them feel insignificant and unworthy, but it would remind them that the work they are doing seems to these people irrelevant, and this could easily translate into the very workers feeling disposable themselves.
Apart from being disrespected by the majority of society, menial wage workers are often shown little respect by their employers. This devaluing is done not only on a verbal level, but is conveyed through the policies they enforce. For instance, the majority of companies require that their employees be drug tested before they are even considered for a job. Now, one can look at this as an effort on the companies’ part to prevent inadequate candidates from obtaining a job, however, it can also be argued that there is a deeper issue for this. In many cases, these drug tests involve urinating into a cup in front of someone. While this may not seem like a big deal to someone that has not experienced it, from personal experience, it is possibly the most demeaning experiences that one can undergo. Furthermore, it sets the precursor for what that employer expects about the prospective employees that are applying for the job.
ReplyDeleteDisrespect in general is never something that one wants to have to deal with; however for someone that is performing grueling work daily, this type of treatment is something that will ultimately damage them permanently emotionally and physically. Erinreich had every advantage going into the low wage world, and experienced it for only a fraction of the years upon years that a “real” low wage worker would, and she admits that this experience harmed her physically and changed her psychologically. In one instance she refers to herself as “a coward,” which isn’t hard to imagine after being disrespected day in and day out by everyone from managers to customers about half your age that earn twice as much as you. While some people are exceedingly courteous to waitresses or janitors, it takes only one percent of the people you serve to disrespect you for your amount of self-respect to diminish.
It is unfortunate to think that the foundation of America is treated this way, and it is disconcerting to think of the cracks that have been developing that left in disrepair will likely lead to the disintegration of America as we know it. For those that are sick of the free government handouts and think that the people that can’t afford to live need to go and get a job, think about the people working overtime that can’t afford to feed their family. Consider the people that work harder than most people that have a college degree that feel worthless and can’t even afford to live somewhere sanitary. If you still feel that these people do not deserve a break, then perhaps you should do exactly what Erinreich did and see how well you fare living in poverty.
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteIn today’s society, every individual has their own view on how things are supposed to be done in the world around them. It seems every time we turn around in a restaurant or in a store that someone is always complaining about an employee making a mistake or a service not being done correctly. This creates anger to arise and this anger is then directed toward the people that serve us. Throughout Nickel and Dimed, Ehrenreich discusses how she does not want a relationship like this with another human being, and how she would not hire a maid for this reason. I do not feel that Ehrenreich’s interpretation of this relationship is correct, and that hiring a maid is no different than any other services such as having someone change the oil on your car.
People view being a maid as a low and degrading job. There are many criticisms that lead to these hard working employees to be treated poorly by their employers. Their work goes unappreciated and they never receive a thank you, aside from being paid very little to do the work. Employers also may tell them their work is not up to par or watch over their employees and tell them all they are doing wrong. Although, this is not always the case of how employers may act. My family had a maid when I was younger, to help out my mom. We always picked up a bit the night before she came, to make her work a little easier. Also, we left “thank you’s” around the house, as well as my mom left her excess money when she came. The master to servant relationship is not the kind of relationship that Ehrenreich describes throughout her book. Most employers are respectful, simply for the fact that these people are low paid and struggle to survive.
Ehrenreich states that society will be hurt if we continue to have relationships like this with other human beings. “…this is just not the kind of relationship I want to have with another human being” (90-91). This is not the case. Most of these humans need the money in order to put food on the table for their families. Because of the lack of income, they are unable to pay rent, buy food, and have a lack of health insurance. In essence, they barely get by, which leads to stress, anger, and eventually theft. If you do not hire them, they will struggle to find a job elsewhere; not hiring them is not going to help them in any way, but hurt them. Without hiring the working poor, the poor would become poorer, crime would increase, jobs would be hard to come by, and then society would indeed, be hurt.
Part 2:
ReplyDeleteThis relationship between a homeowner and a maid is the same as that between, say, a waitress and a customer. My brother’s fiancé worked at a small restaurant in a small town and had a great relationship with her customers. She was never looked down upon for the work she was doing and never treated as a low class citizen because of it. Heather never felt like she was below anyone while working as a waitress, which goes to show that Ehrenreich’s interpretation of this “master” to “servant” relationship is inaccurate. In Heather’s case her customers were polite and courteous to her, in a since because they knew it was a low paying job. This goes to show if you are polite, they are polite back. In other words, it is in your best interest to be polite. She later had to quit because the job was not paying enough for her to get by with school, but it was never considered a degrading job.
Hiring a maid is no different than if you go to a restaurant and interact with a waitress, or if you hire someone to change the oil on your car. Treating the working poor with respect makes all the difference in the relationship. In today’s society, people are more respectful because they are aware that the times are tough and these jobs do not pay a lot of money. Simple appreciation creates a positive relationship with those serving you, even if it is a maid. Hiring a maid does not mean you have a negative relationship with another human being, if anything you are helping them out. The only way it would be a degrading relationship is if you did not treat this person with respect, the way they should be treated. Like a human being.
Option 1
ReplyDeleteSociety is not any better off if a member of the upper-middle class personally hires a maid. In fact, it is beneficial to society in many ways. Low wage jobs such as housekeeping, bussing tables, and working in fast food restaurants are essential to maintain the economy. Without people to fill these jobs, the economy would fail. Similarly, if one were to not hire someone as a maid because they find the job degrading, they would only be hurting that person by not providing them a job. The employee is already in the low wage job field so they would simply find another housekeeping job if they were denied. Despite the differences in status and income, employers should not feel the need to treat their employees with disrespect. The maid will not feel uncomfortable or less superior to their employer if they are treated equally. This will make for a more comfortable relationship and will allow for the employer to recognize them as an equal human being. Also, lower-class immigrants or people with limited skills do not enter the work force expecting high paying jobs. They work in these less desirable jobs because they lack the necessary skills and training. If immigrants were not here to take these jobs, today’s society would be in danger of an economic depression. Although many immigrants enter the country illegally, society should be thanking them for taking positions that most Americans do not want.
Although Ehrenreich states that she does not want to have this kind of relationship with a human being, it does not have to be that way. She can treat them with respect and sympathize with them because she has experienced the work they do. I kindly greet the people who clean the bathrooms and dorms that I live in. Also, when I had a housekeeper that came once a week I treated them with respect despite how awkward we both might feel. My parents both worked almost full-time and found it exhausting to clean the house when they came home from work. There are some families who need a second help in their home. Ehrenreich does not approve of having this second help in her home, however in certain situations it may be necessary. Society’s values have changed over the past centuries, and simply, people’s schedules are busier. With sports, clubs, and school to focus on, children often do not have much free time or maybe even time to thoroughly clean. Although this is unfortunate that society has resulted to this, the positive aspect is that there are more jobs being provided.
Society needs people to perform jobs such as changing our oil, or working at fast food restaurants or the economy will fail. Someone needs to do these jobs despite how unfortunate and degrading they may be. If people like Ehrenreich choose to not hire these people because they do not “want to have this type of a relationship with a human being”, many would be out of jobs. She is essentially hurting these people by not providing them jobs. Rather than take it out on those who are desperately trying to find work, she should blame the government and society in general. In saying that Ehrenreich will not hire these people, she is implying that these jobs are not important or necessary to our society. There is no harm in hiring a cleaning person; it provides them with a job they need to support themselves and their family. These people are grateful for few things and having a job is one of them.
In order to keep a company or business organized and under control, some guidelines and policies are necessary for employers to insist upon from their potential employees. Without guidelines, the workplace could turn chaotic; employees might not know how to behave in certain situations, valued customers could become confused or frustrated, and there is a chance that something might happen that would result in the unnecessary unemployment of an innocent employee.
ReplyDeleteWhile Ehrenreich makes a valid point that making employees follow a dress code or wear a uniform can be expensive and may make some employees feel degraded, it also serves as a means of identification to a customer. Dress codes also serve to make the employees look more professional and it unifies them as a work force. To deal with the problem of expense, the employer could provide the uniform, or even make the uniform consist of something as simple as an apron and name tag, the way The Home Depot has their employees dress. This is cheaper, but still provides a way for customers to identify who the employees are.
General Behavioral guidelines are also a necessity for new employees. Even with the knowledge of past experience and background, it is still a good idea to set guidelines written out so that the employees know what is expected of them and how they should treat customers or clients. If a customer has a bad experience, they are more likely to shop or eat elsewhere. In many situations, the interaction between the customer and employee determines the customer’s opinion about that business.
While Ehrenreich makes the point that surveillance systems make the employee feel like their employer finds them dishonest, and untrustworthy, Surveillance can also serve to protect the employees. In an emergency situation, such as a robbery, surveillance can help justify that the employee didn’t do anything wrong and provides hard evidence. It also helps to find the actual criminal to keep other hard working employees from dealing with the same trouble. To appear less violating, the surveillance should only be placed in areas where employees interact with the public. Surveillance should not be placed in the private areas of just the employees, such as break rooms. This does violate the employees’ rights.
Testing for drugs should not be a necessity. Most of the people applying for jobs know that there is a chance they will be tested and are either clean, or have stayed clean long enough to pass the drug test before they start using again. A drug test should only be given if there is probable cause that someone is using, or if the employer has been suspicious enough to be worried about the person’s behavior. While the employers should have the right to demand a drug test, they also shouldn’t waste the money and time testing every single person that comes in to interview.
I can't upload my draft for some reason, but my paper is on topic 3, specifically, drug testing. My argument is that it infringes on the rights of the employees and potential employees. It is intrusive and many people find it violating. Even though the restaurant business has one of the highest occurrence percentages among legitimate jobs, this still doesn't justify universal testing. Drug testing should still be used for positions concerning public safety, but only when an intoxicated employee poses a palpable threat to the public.
ReplyDeleteIn this country, few issues are politicized more than the issue of the working poor. Those Americans who make meager wages for often time grueling labor are often times debated and exploited by politicians who make far more than they. John Edwards speaks of “two Americas,” welfare and minimum wage laws are heavily debated, and politicians work hard to get the votes of those poverty level and below constituents. Writers, policy makers, activists, and economists try to come up with a way to solve the woes of these people. “What can be done for them?” many ask. Well the ugly answer is… not much can be done, and the little that can be done is not what many people think. Raising minimum wage, improving worker benefits, and other solutions are often offered. The truth is that the companies, the consumers, and even the employees need these jobs and they need them the way they are.
ReplyDeleteOne common solution often offered to help the working poor is a higher minimum wage. The idea is basic enough. These people have low pay, thus, they are poor. If we make companies pay them more, then, they will not be poor any longer. Unfortunately the world of business and labor is not that simple. There are a wide variety of reasons that raising minimum wage would be counterproductive to almost everyone. To begin it hurts the company, because it raises expenses. If a company cannot afford to hire employees they will begin operating at a loss, and may not be able to stay open. Or else they may decide to make another move in order to stay open, which hurts employees.
Minimum wage increases may help workers who get to keep jobs but many workers will not get to keep the jobs. Many will lose them because the company can no longer afford to keep them. For instance, a McDonalds has $ 100 to pay employees. They pay employees $2, which allows them to hire 50 employees. Congress raises national minimum wage to $5. Now McDonalds can only afford to hire 20 workers. There are now 30 workers who are unemployed. The simple truth is a low paying job is better than a high paying job that you do not have. The company may also not be able to stay open at all, thus causing all jobs to be lost.
In addition to these previously stated problems, another issue arises from raising minimum wage, and it is that the companies will find a way to try to stay open, and the best way to do this is to pass the price of an increased minimum wage on to the consumer. This means higher prices for everyone and an increased cost of living. This sort of thing will not necessarily hurt the rich or middle class who can afford the slight price increases. It will mainly hurt the poor, ironically the very people that the wage increases were supposed to help. These problems may seem relatively small; however, there are instances of a minimum wage increase ruining economies, notably in American Samoa.
In 2009 minimum wage was increased nationally to $7.25. This increase would also affect American Samoa, whose economy is entirely based off of tuna packing. 80% of people in American Samoa are employed by tuna packing plants. American Samoa representatives warned congress the harm that this increase in minimum wage would bring to their territory; however the law was passed anyways. The result minimum wage devastated the economy of Samoa. One of two major tuna packing plants was forced to move to an automated system in Georgia. Another stayed open only after laying off many of its workers. These artificially high wages ruined an entire economy, and now it is very uncertain how American Samoa can recover.
ReplyDeleteWe need to realize some things cannot be changed in this world. Sadly there will always be poor people in the world. However, we have a system that allows even nobody’s to become rich with the right work effort and talent. America is full of Dave Thomas, Ray Kroc, or Warren Buffet style success stories. Unfortunately though some will get left behind, but often time attempting to help, may make the situation worse. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
option 1-
ReplyDeleteI think that Ehrenreich is expressing this idea about the relationship with people who hold jobs that seem to pay service to those in higher paying positions because she feels that it may be demeaning and awkward. Everyday people interact with workers with occupations having job details requiring work that may pay service to those in higher positions. The jobs witch Ehrenreich is arguing to be demeaning or which create awkward interactions with people in higher paying positions are indeed necessary in our economy because jobs such as these not only offer support to those willing to pay for it, but it also provides income for the workers. Jobs like maid services were created for a specific reason, to assist those who need it and are willing to pay for the service. The service, although seemingly trivial, requires a set of skills and a certain performance that is needed just like any other paying job in our country. Just like Ehrenreich had to find a tough time finding jobs in our floundering economy, many individuals might not be able to find a better paying position simply because there may not be a demand for their particular skill set at the time.
Just like any other job, the individuals chose to work this position and are working it for a reason. The reason may be an individual one or economical/financial but regardless, there is a reason why people work the jobs they do. Understanding the job description for occupancies such as these is what makes the job necessary and is what makes our economy function. These jobs that may seem meaningless to some and that may seem to require little virtuoso indeed provide an income for someone needing it. They need it. They may not be able to get a higher paying job because maybe they did not do well in school, are in a tough family economic situation or maybe are working multiple jobs and need all the money they can get. Jobs such as these rely on the need for assistance of those in potentially higher paying positions, who also understand the job and therefore should respect the workers. Whenever I come across the people who clean the dorms everyday I try to be polite and courteous, because I know that the job may not be a desirable one, cleaning up after college aged kids for maybe not so respectable wages. Still though, just because I understand that the job may not be desirable and that it may be somewhat demeaning for the worker, I still desire someone to be doing the job other than myself, and I respect the fact that my parents tuition costs may go towards this somewhat.
I think that jobs such as these are what make our economy function, and that people should be open to hiring services or paying for the extra help when they truly need it, and respectfully so. Ehrenreich is expressing the idea that it is not necessary to pay for a service that you can do yourself, to someone in a lesser position potentially which can be demeaning. Also she is refuting with the idea that if these jobs are indeed so necessary, why are we paying so little for the service. I think that it may indeed be demeaning to some people, but there are those who may need the help and that is why jobs like these exist. Government instilled programs such as Medicaid and food stamps help but with a low salary to some still may not be enough.
I can't post my draft because a post must be less than 4096 characters. I guess I exceeded that. My essay is over option 3. It is about how employers are just to strict with thier control measures, and it is causing employees to become angry, feel untrusted, and not wanting perform their jobs. It is already hard enough to find a job these days let alone keep one, but employers just seem to make the jobs harder and harder making the working world a lose lose situation for those that neeed to make money!!!
ReplyDeleteMichael (and others),
ReplyDeleteNote that you might have to split your "comments" (drafts into two or even three segments to post them here. Just copy and paste from your word processor into two or three comment blocks, and try to do it quickly so that they appear sequentially.
Also, remember that it may do your own essay some good to read the essays of other members of the class. If nothing else, you may see some arguments from the opposite point of view that you might feel the need to respond to.
Cordially,
Tom B.