Study guide and discussion questions for "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich. Come prepared to discuss the discussion questions next week (for the online class, discuss these questions this week on our discussion board).

Discussion questions:

Have any of you worked at a minimum wage job? Talk about the experience. Was it like Ehrenreich's?

Study guide questions:

1. Why did Barbara Ehrenreich do this study?
2. What did Ehrenreich do in order to write this article?
3. What job did Ehrenreich plan not to do, but ended up doing anyway?
4. What did Ehrenreich find in want ads in the newspaper?
5. What must the employer do, according to the law, if a waitress’s tips and salary fall below the minimum wage?
6. What did Ehrenreich try to do after two weeks “in the field”?
7. What were the two biggest problems Ehrenreich found in the low-wage workforce?
8. What does Ehrenreich conclude from her study?