Classmate #1: KYLIE G COPE

Ehrenreich 

1. Ehrenreich wanted to know first hand what living in poverty was like and did just that. She moved to different cities in America and got low wage paying jobs to see if it was possible to survive on that low of pay. She quickly learned that these poverty-level wages were not enough money to put a roof over your head and you would often need to work 2-3 low paying jobs that are really hard work. Even though you are putting all of this hard work in, the payout is extremely low and contributes to the cycle of poverty.

2. I think that I could carry out this experiment but the level of difficulty for me would be immense. I do think that participating in an experiment like this truly would show people that the minimum wage is not high enough for people to even survive. I think about the money that I make now, which is well above minimum wage (although I only work 30 hours a week), and sometimes its rough getting by when unexpected expenses pop out of nowhere. When you are making this amount of money you have zero chance to get ahead.

Newman and Lennon

1. Newman and Lennons findinging refute the conventional wisdom about poverty for many reasons. Their findings support the claim that low paying jobs are especially hard to get. These jobs are hard to get for locals in the area, as these jobs are going to people who are commuting from farther neighborhoods. Mothers of young children are impacted by this because without finding a job close to home, they then have to worry about not only affording the commute, but paying for extended hours of childcare. Having personal contacts is everything while looking for a job, at all levels of employment. This who you know phenomenon leads to the people who dont have that connection being without the advantage and less likely to get the job.

Loewan

1. American history courses throughout education have been fantasizing the way that America came to be what it is today. This idea of the American Dream is a fantasy and definitely not reality. This country was formed on racism but that is not the narrative taught in schools. History is always twisted just enough in the American education system to make America seem like the good guy. American history lacks an accurate and informed lesson on social class analysis in which explains how the education system is actively against the working class.

2. The hidden injuries of class concept represents how interpretations of social classes impact actions in society. Thinking that someone has money and assuming that they must be really smart, the two always go together and this concept challenges that idea. The blaming the victim concept is when people are blaming the people who are impacted by social constructs instead of the social systems that have put them in that position.

3. The social class that you are born into will impact your life forever. The care you get as a child and the schooling you receive will in fact follow you. Social classes shape society in many negative ways and can have lasting effects on people, even if they change social classes during their lifetimes.

4. I got my own ideas about poverty and social class by identifying my surroundings and comparison. I think this is a natural thing to do. When you go to school you find yourself comparing what you do or dont have to what other kids have. You recognize neighborhoods that you grew up in versus the neighborhoods that your friends and classmates grow up in. You soon are able to identify the people who may be living in poverty and the people that arent. (624 words) McIntyre, L. (2014). The practical skeptic: readings in sociology Dubuque: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Classmate #2: BISHRELT BAT-ERDENE

Ehrenreich 

1. Ehrenreich’s experiment states, “All I know is that I couldn’t hold two jobs and I couldn’t make enough money to live on with one” ( pg. 346). I think this means even if she worked so hard, she can’t live properly. And she also states ”During this time I bought no clothing except for the required slacks and no prescription drugs or medical care (i did finally buy some vitamin B to compensate for the lack of vegetables in my diet). I think this means even if she works so hard, she could not afford the consumption of her life. 

2. I would not be able to carry out this experiment. I am lucky that my parents are able to provide for me, and always offer things that I need in my life so I will be always grateful for them. And  I think that participating in an experiment like this would be beneficial for people to know that the minimum wage is not enough for people to live properly.Newman and LennonNewman and Lennon discussed the inequalities that surrounding the job market based on class and gender, this refutes that anyone can get a job if they try because they discussed the lack of job available in society. It was found in ”Mother of young children face particular problems if they can’t find jobs close to home. The costs and logistical complexities of commuting (and paying for longer child care hours to accommodate it) are a big burden”. And also the article refutes that even if young generations (18-25) try to get a job, they can’t find a job because most of them got rejected. It was found in ”Among those people who applied but were rejected for fast-food work in early 1993, 73 percent had not found work any kinda year later, despite considerable effort”. 

Loewan

1. According to Loewans analysis, the most important functions and dysfunctions of the American myth of social equality is America is full of opportunities that anybody can be successful as long as they work hard.  In the article, Loewan brings up a concept called “the hidden injuries of class.” I think this concept describes the subculture of shame and the negative self-image of those who are poor and I think being poor gives people lower social status. Another concept is “blaming the victim” Loewan talks about this as a tendency to blame an individual for any sort of mishap. It is a system that can cause a failure to her/him. I think The hidden injury of class tells us how we look into lower class. And Blaming the victim maintain people’s status in a class either low or high.  The social class can impact our whole lifetime, Loewan gave us example of a child in high class and a child in the low class. He compared and contrasts how their situation can be based on their social classes and each situation is completely opposite to each other because the higher class child had a better home environment while the lower class child didn’t. Social class can tell how your life will be in the future.