College of
Business
Administration
College of
Business
Administration
1) “In 1949, Congress, in the preamble to the post-war Housing Act, set forth the National Housing Goal of ‘a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family. We’ve never come close to achieving that, and—given the widening gap between incomes and housing costs—are moving even further away from that basic right.” (Harper’s Magazine Foundation) What do you think the governments role should be in providing housing?
2) Many advocacy groups are debating on defining “low-income” and “livable quality of life.” What do you view as a “livable quality of life?” What is “low-income”? How do you think a livable wage should be calculated?
3) What are the implications of Nickel and Dimed for management?
4) There is a high employee turnover rate at low-income jobs. How can management increase loyalty and lower the turnover rate?
5) If you worked at a low-income job would you be willing to relocate to Missouri, have the exact same job, but increase your standard of living?
6) Some cultures have extended family living in the same household “supporting” each other. Does the typical “American way” of independent living and home ownership exacerbate the problem of economic hardship?
7) Does “the job” create the person or the person create “the job”?
8) Housing costs pose the greatest obstacle for low-wage workers. Why does our society seem to resist rectifying this situation? Do you believe that there are realistic solutions to the lack of affordable housing?
9) Ehrenreich is white and middle class. She asserts that her experience would have been radically different had she been a person of color or a single parent? Do you think discrimination shaped Ehrenreich’s story? In what ways?
10) Enrenreich concluded that had her working life been spent in Wal-Mart—like environment, she would have emerged a different person—meaner, pettier, “Barb” instead of “Barbara.” How would your personality change if you were placed in working conditions very different from the ones you are in now?
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