Short Paper # 1: “Minimum Wage” from 30 Days
For most Americans the word “poverty” suggest an inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter. There is an enormous number of Americans forced to live in these impoverished conditions everyday. If we focus our attention on the working poor, which by definition include people who are economically disadvantaged despite the fact that they are fully employed(answers.com), these particular individuals are living check to check on what the government deems sufficient to provide reasonable living standards in a society where the cost of living increases every half decade and the minimum wage remains at a standstill. Morgan Spurlock, creator of the show 30 days, features an episode called “Minimum Wage”, in which he and his fiancee Alex live on minimum wage for 30 days in the heart of America; Columbus Ohio. In this paper, we will see the minds of Georg Simmel, C. Wright Mills, Karl Marx, and Max Weber, all collide and offer insightful details on three of the most profound issues found in the film: the working poor, high cost of medical health insurance in America, and the rising cost of living. These are all major issues portrayed in the episode “Minimum Wage.”
The question of the working poor, how many there are and the reasons for their situation remains controversial. Morgan and Alex bring us on a grueling 30 day journey of what it is like to live as a member of the working poor. Living on forty dollars a day after tax, relying on public transportation to get to and from work, and affording health insurance are just a few issues we see in the episode. Many government implemented programs have the proclaimed intention on assisting those who may be considered impoverished or working poor. However, much debate is centered upon the efficacy of such programs. Karl Marx would proclaim that it is society as a whole that is responsible for such major issues. According to The...