bwaber@bookwyrm.social reviewed Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
An Insightful if Slightly Problematic Ethnography of the Working Poor
4 stars
While this book is now over 20 years old, it is still fiercely relevant as an ethnographic chronicle of the challenge of surviving as a low wage worker. Ehrenreich, a journalist, spends time in three different parts of the US taking up entry level jobs, illuminating how skilled these jobs actually are and how untenable the economic system is that makes it possible to pay people so little. At the same time, one wonders why the author didn't simply interview people who were already in these positions or work with a trained ethnographer - see "Data Driven" by Karen Levy as an example of how to do that well. Still, this remains a useful look into the glaring issues that haunt our society. Highly recommend