Barbara Ehrenreich-Early Life and Education
Photo from: npr.org
She has resided in Montana, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York and California. Ehrenreich was a diligent student and had always planned to attend college.
Because her family's socioeconomic status had elevated from working- to middle-class during her high school years, Ehrenreich was ultimately able to matriculate at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. She began her college career as a science major, and after receiving her undergraduate degree in physics, she pursued a graduate degree in cell biology at Rockefeller Unersity.
Transition into writing, activism and journalism
Ehrenreich initially began her career as a professor at the State University of New York. Her inspiration for writing derived from her experiences during her first pregnancy in 1970.
At the time, the medical profession was predominantly male. In an interview, Ehrenreich has described how she experienced sexism by a male doctor who was astounded by her knowledge of cervical effacement.
It was then when Ehrenreich felt compelled to pursue a writing career, highlighting issues such as feminism, women's health, as well as political and social imbalances. One of the reasons why Ehrenreich is especially passionate about writing is because it allows her a platform to speak the truth, advocate for what is right and be a voice for those in society who are often forgotten.
Photo from: Inequality.org
These efforts are reflected in her feature story for Ms. magazine, which contradicts a false notion that the cause of heart disease is linked to feminism. Ehrenreich's story for Ms. magazine catapulted her in her career, as the publication featured it as a cover story for the magazine.
In addition to publishing her first story, Ehrenreich was also an activist for the women's health movement, which was geared towards advocating for the amelioration of health care for women in addition to expanding access to health information. Part of Ehrenreich's drive to support the movement was based on her personal experiences ranging from sexism to limited access to adequate health care.
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America
Ehrenreich is probably most notable for her 2001 book, titled "Nickel and Dimed: On Getting By in America." Her intent in writing the book was to gain a firsthand perspective on how the 1996 welfare reform act disproportionately affected the working class and working poor.
During this process, Ehrenreich temporarily walked away from her successful life and worked several menial, minimum-wage jobs as a waitress, hotel maid, nursing home caretaker, and Wal-Mart employee. Throughout her experiment, Ehrenreich was not recognized in the Key West community as the prominent author and social activist that she was.
Photo from: gq.com
Furthermore, she was barely able to support herself financially even with multiple jobs; Although the jobs she worked payed her enough money to cover basic necessities, she was still only left with a little over $20 at the end of each month.
Working conditions were also strenuous and employees were only allowed restroom breaks. They were on their own for lunch, as there were not any nearby restaurants.
Nickel and Dimed provided a revelation at hardships that many working poor and working class U.S. citizens have endured for generations. For example, it reflects how working numerous jobs to make ends meet does not necessarily guarantee financial and economic stability, especially when people have families to provide for.
Poverty in America is not a choice, but rather a result of minimum wages and limited resources and employment opportunities. Given how "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America" is an educational and enlightening book, many colleges and universities throughout the country have incorporated it in the curriculum as a requirement for first-year students.
Photo from: commonreading.appstate.edu
My Commentary
I perceive Barbara Ehrenreich as a positive role model, especially for aspiring female journalists like myself. What I admire most about her is that she uses her journalistic platform to raise awareness of humanitarian issues in regard to politics, income inequality, feminism, sexism, etc.
After reading her story and background, I now feel inspired to use my journalistic credentials to pursue a similar path because I care about women's rights and helping disadvantaged groups who have been left behind in society. I also respect Ehrenreich for her genuineness in everything she does, as she does not do things for others simply for the sake of reaping benefits in return; Instead, she helps other people out of the kindness of her heart and because she knows that morally, it is the right thing to do.
I am a Godly person, and I strive to do God's will every single day of my life. One of my favorite passages in the Bible says, "From those to whom much is given, much is required" (Luke 12:48).
Photo from: etsy.com
I know that when God blesses me with prosperity, He will expect me to use my blessings to bless other people as well. Everyone, in my opinion deserves an equal opportunity to live the best life that they can, regardless of their race/ethnicity, social class, sex/gender, etc.
Therefore, I am interested in researching ways to help those who are less fortunate than I am and put those plans into action. One final quality I admire about Ehrenreich was her willingness to give up her career as a writer and live in poverty for two years in order to further analyze difficulties among the working class and working poor. I do not know too many people who would do what she did, which in my opinion demonstrates true courage and dedication to the community.
As I conclude my final blog post, I would like to briefly discuss a few key takeaways from the videos below. In the third video where Ehrenreich talked about her struggles with breast cancer, it was hard to hear how she and other cancer patients were told repeatedly to stay positive.
Although I believe in looking on the bright side of things, we sometimes have to take a realist approach to our circumstances. It is okay to feel angry, sad or distressed because those are natural human emotions.
I liked Ehrenreich's message in the first video because while empowerment and self-confidence are important, we must also know that we are not perfect; Furthermore, nobody is going to be gifted at everything, which is alright because you have to go where your talents lie.
Her message in the second video was extremely powerful because she talked about how she is not afraid of death. This resonated with me because if I come to the end of my life, and I know I have lived it to the fullest and fulfilled God's plan for my life, then I will be able to make peace with death.
Of course death is inevitable, but as long as I know that I have lived a long and meaningful life and hopefully made someone else's life better, then I will be ready to go home to be with God.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OREHHIZWEZQ
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