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The fallacy of Hard Work

The fallacy of hard work is asserted on the notion that one's effort determines the

outcomes of his desired things. It, therefore, argues that the failure of an individual is connected

to a lack of hard work or putting enough effort. It ignores all the other factors that may limit the

success of an individual. However, according to Loewen, success is hindered by social

inequalities in societies. Success is, therefore, not guaranteed for anyone who works hard on his

or her activities.

Loewen has emphasized social stratification in the US that affects the quality of

education an individual receives in the school. The students from wealthy backgrounds receive

quality education while students from low-income families get poor education. The cost of a

bachelor's degree is costly, and the majority cannot afford the cost. Social classes influence the

upward mobility in the societies. Students from lower classes are disadvantaged, "if you are a

child of low-income parents, chances are you will receive limited or careless attention from

adults in your high school (Loewen, 323)." Therefore, there are not equal opportunities in

education for all, despite education being termed as key to success. Higher education is a

prerequisite for an individual to secure a middle-class lifestyle nowadays.

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He argues that the concept of social inequality is avoided in school. The textbooks do not

talk of the vice. The district schools labor in financial constraints. They are referred to as "savage

inequalities (Loewen, 325)." The teachers also do not discuss the vice. The parents do not raise

concerns too about the vice in their societies. Research reveals that the teachers in the schools

have a lot of knowledge about the economy and other concepts than the knowledge they assume

to possess as class teachers. They do not want the students to get worried when they realize the

injustices in the economy and political institutions. However, the students from the low classes

need to understand the social classes to feel liberated from the weak education system, which

deters them from opportunities in life. They may perceive life as being unfair as they get to know

that their economic state is caused by social classes. The rich get the most opportunities as 95%

of executives and financiers are from upper class or middle class in the US; therefore, we have

unparalleled opportunities in the US (Loewen, 326). The notion of the concept of social

Darwinism is prevalent in the US as they believe in the survival of the fittest.

Ehrenreich describes how the non-skilled workers thrive and give us the state of the

environment she thrives in the cities. She is disturbed about how single mothers who earn

meager salaries in their jobs survive financially. She survives in three cities in the US. She is

worried about looking for where to settle. She lives in a poor environment where there are no

excellent facilities. The houses charge high rents not affordable to her. She went to the towns to

look for jobs. She preferred a good job due to her age. She disregards being a waitress. "I

remember it was leaving me bone-tired, and I'm decades of varicosities ( Ehrenreich, 333)." in

the Key West City, she works in two restaurants and as a housekeeper in a hotel. She lives under

poor conditions in a trailer park. She puts that there are hidden costs in poverty.
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The poor are disadvantaged in our societies. No matter their weak economies or financial

capabilities, they end up being exploited in the long run (Ehrenreich, 335). The poor are forced

to live in the hotels as they can not afford the apartment deposits. They, therefore, spend a lot as

living in a hotel is more expensive than living in an apartment. They are also not able to have

savings by cooking their nutritious foods in the one-room they live to reduce the cost of living.

They also pay a lot when faced with health problems for they do not have health insurance. She

quits the task due to the adversities she faces. She also moves to Maine, where she lives in a

cottage. She works for a cleaning service in the weekdays and works in a nursing home on

weekends. She discovers that the poor are also disadvantages in the vicinities. They do not get

assistance in their conditions, and whoever they come across to help them, is a rude person

unwilling to help.

Nonetheless, the rich get quality services at their discharge. She works in Minnesota at a

Wal-Mart. She has a challenge in finding housing, and the last option remains to be a hotel. Life

becomes extremely expensive, and she quits due to poor living conditions. It, therefore, shows

how there are inequalities in the societies that hinder people's development.

Newman and Lennon discuss the job market inequalities, which are championed by class

and gender. Not everyone can quickly secure a job. They based research on people working in a

fast-food restaurant with 200 workers (Newman & Lennon, 348). The workers were able to

survive in the economy with their minimum wages. However, many applicants had applied for

jobs several times without success despite their efforts. The young people had applied for jobs in

various posts at many frequencies before they joined the fast-food restaurant, but they did not get

the desired jobs. There is a high competition of jobs in the ghetto, even for low wage jobs. "The

people from poor neighborhoods are disadvantaged in finding jobs." The ability to get a job is
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determined by "who you know (Newman and Lennon,349)." Personal contacts enable people get

high skilled jobs. Despite the domination of vicinity by African Americans, jobs are given to

immigrants. The competition is also based on work experience which majority do not have. The

poor masses are also said to have many expectations, thus becoming reluctant to look for jobs

that are below the "reservation wage (Newman & Lennon, 349)."

Social inequality is rendering unequal opportunities to the masses within a group or a

society. The US is still highly stratified. It is elucidated in the people's various incomes from

either works or investments. It is seen in political and economic realms. In 2015 Top 1% of

families in US-made 25 times earnings of the lower 99% families (Doob, 5). It is, therefore,

challenging to promote equality in societies as the rich get richer while the poor get more

miserable in the long run. Even with the prevailing low unemployment rates, there are also low

wages remitted to the workers.

Meanwhile, success is not only determined by hard work but also the social and

economic factors. You may work the hardest, but without the right platforms, your efforts might

be in vain. Consider a student who has a passion for medicine and reads smartest to become a

doctor. She might not actualize the dreams if she does not attend good schools that charge high

fees. The societies should, therefore, gear to address social inequalities that hinder people's

development and success to promote equality and enable people to actualize their dreams

without hindrances.
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Works Cited

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America. Metropolitan Books,

2010: 333-340.

Doob, Christopher. Social inequality and social stratification in US society. Routledge, 2015. 3-

10.

Loewen, James. "The land of opportunity." The Practical Skeptic: Readings in Sociology (2002):

321-327.

Newman and Lennon. "The job ghetto." The American Prospect 22 (1995): 347-349.