"I grew up hearing over and over, to the point of tedium, that "hard work" was the secret of success: "Work hard and you'll get ahead" or "It's hard work that got us where we are." No one ever said that you could work hard-harder even than you ever though possible-and still find yourself sinking ever deeper into poverty and debt."
This quote from Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed sums up what she was attempting to explain throughout her book. What Ehrenreich exposes seems deceptively simple, hard work does not always lead to success. As Americans we are taught that if an individual works hard enough they will obtain the American dream. This type of thinking has lead to class elitism from those "hard workers" who have been lucky enough to rise above the statistics of poverty. Ehrenreich's book is important because of the type of debate that it fosters. The topic of hard work not necessarily raising people out of poverty is a taboo subject but one that needs to be address and because of people like Ehrenreich this debate is beginning to happen. My question is this, what type of work is truly valued in America and why are certain types of work valued more?
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In America the type of work that is valued most is the type with the greatest shortage. Even without a college degree if you learn a skill that employers have a need for, you will earn more than basic laborers. I've worked with pipeline welders that made $365,000 a year working 10 monthes out of the year, simply beacuse of the shortage of pipeline welders. When I worked on a surveying crew, the new guys made $17.00/hour with no experience. It is easy to live off of a wage like that. I was fresh out of high school and had no experience, I simply applied for, and got the job. The job had long hours and we were in swamps most of the time, but it was worth the pay. There are good paying jobs out there, but you have to be willing to wark hard, and show up on time.
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