Professor's introduction to Module #3
In the readings for this module, Barbara Ehrenreich goes to Minnesota and ends up working for Wal-Mart. Also, you will be viewing two videos on Wal-Mart, both of which are harshly critical of the company. As you do the reading and view the videos, notice the relatively narrow viewpoint Ehrenreich uses to look at Wal-Mart -- primarily from the viewpoint of an employee and the mistreatment of employees -- and the broader critique of the company and its overall impact on American society developed by the videos. We will be discussing both viewpoints in the discussion board.
We're back to the familiar issues of finding affordable housing (not possible), taking "personality" and urine tests that she can't find any legitimate reason for, and the psychological impact of working hard at jobs that give you next to nothing in return. We'll discuss some of these issues further in the discussion board. We encounter acts of kindness from fellow low-wage earners (Caroline's inviting her into her home, although it is already overcrowded) and the purchase of "diuretics" to cover up (with a urine test) an incident of smoking marijuana a couple weeks earlier.
But above all, this reading (and module) is about Wal-Mart; what it does (primarily to employees but also to others), and what are the impacts. One Wal-Mart issue that arises is its strident opposition to unionism among its employees. Ehrenreich believes that Wal-Mart employees would benefit from a union, since they would have a "collective voice" to deal with their employer. (However, she does not think that unionism is the entire answer to the problems of Wal-Mart employees; just one big step in the right direction.) This is a question worth discussion, and we will be in the discussion board.
This is the first reading in which Ehrenreich actually likes her manager. However, the assistant manager, a 26 year old male, is another matter, as shown in the reading. Also, we have the astonishing spectacle of an emergency assistance counselor suggesting that Ehrenreich move into a homeless shelter since she works at Wal-Mart and will never save up enough for an apartment's first month's rent and security deposit any other way. We also see Ehrenreich going through waves of negative and positive feelings about the customers of Wal-Mart.
The videos raise broader issues about Walmart, beyond the ones raised by Ehrenreich from her experience as one of its workers. Pay attention to the controversy surrounding Wal-mart, and be prepared to discuss them in the discussion for this module.
The following are the links to the videos of this module:
https://online4.fiu.edu/SA3/Flash/Nissen/LBS3001/IsWalmartGoodPart1/IsWalmartGoodPart1.html
https://online4.fiu.edu/SA3/Flash/Nissen/LBS3001/IsWalmartGoodPart2/IsWalmartGoodPart2.html
https://online4.fiu.edu/SA3/Flash/Nissen/LBS3001/WalmartHighCostLowPricePart1/WalmartHighCostLowPricePart1.html
https://online4.fiu.edu/SA3/Flash/Nissen/LBS3001/WalmartHighCostLowPricePart2/WalmartHighCostLowPricePart2.html
https://online4.fiu.edu/SA3/Flash/Nissen/LBS3001/WalmartHighCostLowPricePart3/WalmartHighCostLowPricePart3.html
https://online4.fiu.edu/SA3/Flash/Nissen/LBS3001/WalmartHighCostLowPricePart4/WalmartHighCostLowPricePart4.html
Also to access the book reading please go to the following link and use the user and password below:
https://read.amazon.com/
Username: gcaprileh @ gmail.com
Password: centauro