Waging Living Roger Weisberg\'s 2005

Waging Living

Roger Weisberg's 2005 documentary Waging a Living challenges the idea of the American Dream, which suggests that hard work and determination are enough to achieve the goal of upward social mobility or financial success. The film profiles America's working poor: those who work hard, sometimes too hard, and still have trouble making ends meet. All of the individuals in the film had vested in the American Dream, believed fully in it until it became clear that no amount of hard work was going to translate into upward social mobility. The United States claims to be a meritocracy but is not, the filmmakers suggest. Unfortunately, Jean Reynolds, Jerry Longoria, Barbara Brooks, and Mary Venittelli are like many Americans who are left out of the American Dream.

In Waging a Living, Weiseberg suggests that human capital and structural problems can best explain the situation depicted in the film. In fact, the human capital theory is aligned with the structural issues. Weisberg addresses the issue of human capital through Mary Venittelli, who manages to return to school and also through Barbara Brooks. Both Venitelli and Brooks understand that they need to invest in themselves to improve their access to jobs with greater wage and promotion potential. Yet their struggles seem insurmountable. Poverty is certainly depicted as being a structural issue, because Jean Reynolds knows how healthcare is unaffordable and creating a cycle of poverty. Jerry Longoria understands that structural problems are at the root of poverty, which is why he is active in labor unions.

Class is a major issue for Barbara Brooks, who was raised in an abusive and impoverished household that inhibited her early access to social and cultural capital. However, all the individuals in the film can be considered regular working class Americans. The film demonstrates the challenges that lower and working class parents have to face as they try to raise children on salaries barely big enough to pay basic living expenses. Mary almost found herself unable to afford a roof over her and her children's heads.

Gender is treated with due realism in Waging a Living, which does illustrate the special struggles that women face. Being a single mother is a major issue correlated with poverty. Women face challenges not only when they are single mothers, though. Access to promotions and positions of power is systematically more difficult to acquire for women, who still earn less than their male counterparts. Gender bias is built into the system.