Please read the summary of the book Nickle and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich.  You are to analyze this book from classical Marxist and neo-Marxist perspectives.         

1) First of all, what are Ehrenreich’s basic arguments?  Please note the challenges she faces on living on minimum and below minimum wage jobs related to “reproducing herself”. 

2) Create two well-developed realistic itemized budget tables, one based on $7.85/hour based on the factors mentioned in the article, and one on a living wage of $14.00/hour or $30,000 a year for a single parent living in Gainsville, Florida with children ages 7 and 10?
EXAMPLE:

$7.85
Car _______
Health care _______
Food ________
Utilities_______
etc...

And then another table for $14.00 or $30,000 a year.

3) You need to explain in each budget category what the extra money does for bettering your “reproduction of the self.” 

4) How can a person use her/his sociological imagination to better one’s life given this extra $6.15/hour? 

5) Finally, develop a 100 word pitch based on the ideas of Marxist theory you would give the politically conservative Florida legislature based on “American values and principles” to raise the minimum wage to $14.00/hour.  You are encouraged to do internet research on cost-of-living issues in Gainesville, Florida. 

Note: Gainesville, Florida is conservative so appeal them with typical conservative values and goals.

I have attached the Nickel and Dime article. Please be sure to cite sources when using internet based research on Gainesville, Florida average living costs, jobs available to some one in Ehrenreich's position (her fake position obviously, as a divorcee with only three years of education), food costs, utilities, etc.