Nickel-and-Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America

By Barbara Ehrenreich1999

The USA’s Welfare System• 1880s–1890s: Poor people from work yards were moved to poor houses if they

were in search of relief funds.• 1893–1894: Attempts were made at the first unemployment payments, but were

unsuccessful due to the 1893–1894 recession.• 1932: The Great Depression had gotten worse. The "Emergency Relief Act", which

gave local governments $300 million, was passed into law. • 1933: In March 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pushed Congress to

establish the Civilian Conservation Corps.• 1935: The Social Security Act was passed on June 17, 1935. The bill included

direct relief (cash, food stamps, etc.) and changes for unemployment insurance.• 1940: Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC) was established.• 1964: Johnson’s War on Poverty is underway, and the Economic Opportunity Act

was passed. Commonly known as "the Great Society"• 1996: Passed under Clinton, the "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

Reconciliation Act of 1996" becomes law

The USA’s welfare system• Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Programme.

Retirement Insurance Benefits (RIB), Supplemental Security Income (SSI)- a form of payments made by the US Social Security Administration paid based upon the attainment old age (62 or older).

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD)- Income supplements for people unable to work due to a disability.

• Unemployment insurance – money provided by the state when the worker has become unemployed when it wasn’t his fault.

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)- provides cash to needy American families with dependent children.

• Food Stamp Programme- Financial assistance to buy food for people with low and no income.

How the USA’s welfare system compares the UK’s

• The UK has: The National Health Service, which provides free health care to all citizens.

• The Universal Child Benefit- Gives benefits to parents to help feed and support their children.

• Free School Meals – Provided to children at lunch time and was paid by the government.

• Laws weren’t passed to do with welfare in the US until the 1930’s, whereas they began in the UK in the 1900’s.

Style of Writing

• First person• In the style of a diary – “When I wake up at 4am.”• Mixed lexis – “Kiddie”, “Oxytocin• References to racism – “I possess certain traits that

might be advantageous – I’m white”. • References to sexism – “I am ‘baby,’ ‘honey,’

‘Blondie,’ and most commonly, ‘girl.”

Re-casting Task• Imagine you are an American woman writing to the local newspaper

about your struggles with money, jobs and children. Use from the beginning of the text up to “ More or less off the land.”

• You should adapt the source material, using your own words as far as possible without using direct quotations from Ehrenreich’s original material. Your letter should be approximately 300 – 400 words in length.

• In your adaptation you should:• Use language appropriately to address purpose and audience• Write accurately and coherently, applying relevant ideas and concepts.