statement

I grew up in a blue collar, working class family. In the past few years, half of the people in my family have faced unemployment or unsteady work; one third of the families on my block have lost their jobs. My dad lost his job when I was in high school. After several months of interviews and disappointments, he finally found another job. He worked more and earned less. Eventually that company went bankrupt and he was out of work again.

The United States has officially entered into a recession. Newspaper headlines are calling this "The War on the Middle Class," the battle of "Wall Street versus Main Street." We hear about this economic crisis in terms of job losses, factory cl0sings, bailouts, bankruptcies, outsourcing, union strikes and unemployment lines. We hear about the increasing number of layoffs each month and the sparse interviews of those people shocked to find themselves suddenly out of work.

My work aims to explore the affects this crisis is having on those families struggling with unemployment. I am interested in what we aren't hearing: the shift in family dynamics, the shame, the disappointment, the pride, the anxiety, the humility, the bringing together, the tearing apart, the fear and desperation, the restlessness, and the hope.