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Teenagers and jobs
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Introduction. In Working at McDonald’s, Amitai Etzioni brings to light his thoughts and feelings towards the employment of teenagers in fast-food restaurants. He presents this in the form of an essay with arguments based on analysis and personal experience. This paper will provide a review of Etzioni’s writing. It will focus on his main arguments and also look into any possible areas of weaknesses. Summary. Etzioni begins by expressing his attitude and feelings towards the employment of teenagers at McDonald’s. He further explains that as it is the American culture for youngsters to seek employment in order to earn small amounts of money, this tradition may be detrimental to them and their futures. The author goes ahead to describing various …show more content…
His basis of this is developed through analysis, review of literature and personal experience. One of the key reasons to Etzioni’s remarks is that he believes working in fast food restaurants undermines school attendance and involvement. This is because teenagers are exposed to long working hours. A study carried out in 1984 by Bryan Shore Fraser and Ivan Charper reveled that third of the youngsters between the ages of 14 and 17 who are employed by such restaurants work for 30 hours every week. 20 percent work for less than 15 hours while the rest work between 15 and 30 hours weekly. Etzioni argues by saying “no way such amounts will not interfere with schoolwork, especially homework.” Montgomery County revealed that 58 percent of seniors in one of the high schools admitted that their part-time jobs interfered with their …show more content…
This is an overreaching generalization. He makes statements that may be true to him but not necessarily true to the rest of the teenagers and their parents. This can be seen when he describes the work environment in these restaurants as areas where the values of delinquent teens dominate. To prove this, he explains his own personal experience where his son Oren while working in Baskin Robbins dishing out ice cream, was regarded as a sucker by his peers for failing to steal. As much as this may be true, it may not be the case for other teenagers across the country. They may be going through totally different experiences. Therefore, such an assumption makes Etzioni’s agreement to lack
The problem with the useful skills he is speaking about is that they usually require some kind of background, but he does not think of the useful skill learned from a fast food restaurant such as communication, problem solving, and management. Other points Etzioni had such as undermining school attendance, not being able to be creative, and “blind obedience” with the boss. As for students skipping school to attend work, that has to do with the discipline of the student, if they are going to skip they are most likely going to skip school and work. Or they will skip school and wait till school ends to attend work. Also most places that employ students know what time school is released and have the scheduled to work after that. As for creativity, work in a fast food restaurant is not the correct place to express it. Etzioni even contradicts himself with his story about the “severance pay” that workers would take and the “blind obedience” with the boss. Most workers don't usually even agree with what bosses say, workers tend to group together and help each
Etzioni presents his ideas in the form of emotional and logical appeal. The audience is most likely made of parents of teenagers who are around the age of working. By including his sons’ work experiences and facts from well-trusted sources, it allows the readers to engage in and understand first-hand what he is presenting to them. For example, he brought up how students would drop out of
“Don’t Blame the Eater” is an article by David Zinczenko that explains to Americans, specifically overweight young Americans, about the risks eating at fast food restaurants and its cause of affecting one’s health. In his article, he tries to address the issue about America’s food industries by using literal devices such as tone, logos, ethos, diction, and organization in order to spread his message. He begins his article by addressing the topic and as he continues writing, he supports his topic by writing about personal experience and moves onto the reasons why his topic in a serious issue. Although he shows an overall clear progress, he does tend to have a few problems with his writing that could be improved.
Juveniles are being taught that in order to have a nice car, branded cloths and the house of their dreams, by getting into an expensive mortgage, they have to be an employee of a huge corporation. In addition, they have to undergo to a prestigious school, study hard, have excellent grades in order to become popular and respectable in the world. However, many people would not become those super leaders, but these majority of people have a great role in the capitalism society of the US. As Gatto says, “We buy televisions, and then we buy the things we see on the television. We buy computers, and then we buy the things we see on the computer. We buy $150 sneakers whether we need them or not, and when they fall apart too soon we buy another pair” (38). Such results are in part of a wrong education that teenagers have received trough many decades. In addition, Gatto highlights that modern educational system has been working in a six basic functions methods that makes the system strong and unbreakable: The adjustable function, indulge students to respect authorities. The integrating function, which builds the personality of the students as similar to each other as possible. The diagnostic and directive function, which allows a school to set permanent scholar grades in order to determinate his or her future role in society. The differentiating function, which gives to the student a good education and after his or her role is diagnosed, they prevent any educational progress. The selective function, function that the system has used to prevent academic growth for the non-selected students. The propaedeutic function, which works in the selection of specific groups of intellectual adults to keep perpetuating the system all over again making it a continuous sequence. (Gatto 34). Gatto’s facts revealed the survival of the educational system for decades,
In the essay, “Working at McDonald’s,” Amitai Etzioni shares his strong belief that working, especially at McDonald’s type restaurants, is bad for teenagers. I would agree that working is not a good thing for teenagers under some circumstances but at other times it is good. First, jobs affect school involvement and attendance in bad ways. Second, jobs often provide “on the job experience,” but much of the time the experience taught is useless. Third, fast food jobs may provide a disadvantaged status. Fast food jobs can also provide an advantaged status. Finally, workers can learn to manage their money by making mistakes with money before they get into the Real World.
Whether we recognize it or not, every day the common person drives by numerous fast food restaurants. It could be McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, or one of plenty more. Most citizens make the decision on their own as to if they will make that purchase. A majority of the responsibility falls back on the consumer, but some will make the arguments that children cannot make that decision for themselves. It is a valid argument to question if this responsibility is in the parent’s hands, children’s, or simply it is just circumstantial. In the reading “Don’t Blame the Eater” the author David Zinczenko presents the case that we as citizens cannot put this blame directly onto the individual. Cases like this can be open to one’s interpretation. However,
Over the last 50 years, the fast food industry did not only sold hamburgers and french fries. It has been a key factor for vast social changes throughout America. It has been responsible for breaking traditional American values and reinstating new social standards that specifically aims to benefit the industry’s growth. These social standards have inevitably changed the way the American youth respond to education and self-responsibility. Eric Schlosser, an author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, excellently uses logic to present the tactics used by the fast food industry to cheapen and promote labor along with the social changes that occurred in the American youth as a result. Schlosser aims to dismantle and dissect
The U.S educational system’s purpose is to control the minds of its students that will be the future leaders of the country. Juveniles are being taught that in order to have a nice car, branded clothes and the house of their dreams, by getting into an expensive mortgage, they have to be an employee of a huge corporation. In addition, they have to undergo to a prestigious school, study hard, have excellent grades in order to become popular and respectable in the world. However, many people would not become those super leaders, but these majorities of people have a great role in the capitalistic society of the US. As Gatto says, “We buy televisions, and then we buy the things we see on the television. We buy computers, and then we buy the things we see on the computer. We buy $150 sneakers whether we need them or not, and when they fall apart too soon we buy another pair” (38).
Teenage workers are more likely to be untrained, and for this reason the job becomes more dangerous because the workers don’t know what they’re doing and could injure themselves by doing the wrong thing. Schlosser states, “The most common workplace injuries at fast food restaurants are slips, falls, strains, and burns” (Schlosser 83). While talking about the likelihood of injuries happening while working in a fast food restaurant, Schlosser mentions that armed robberies are more likely now in fast food restaurants than banks or even convenience stores (Schlosser 83). Although most of the robberies do not end with death, the chances of a violent crime in a fast food restaurant are high. Schlosser uses pathos because we view teenagers as innocent and as still being children, so we don’t want them to be in any danger. We feel sympathy for them because it’s unfair to have to work knowing that they are risking their safety. While the industries try to take action by “spending millions on new security measures,” the chances of a robbery happening are still
In the essay, “Working at McDonald’s” Amitai Etzioni states that working at McDonald’s for teenagers is not a good for their current studies and future. I agree with him that working for teenagers in McDonald are not good under some circumstances and in the long term. Working in McDonald’s affect on the individual academic performance and also it affects on their attendance.
Students spend four years of their lives attending high school. Going through high school is mandatory as it prepares them for college and strength to face “the real world.” Having part-time jobs has become the phenomenon among high school students and many students follow this trend as well. Moreover, there are some pros and cons attached with it. Though it may seem like working throughout high school is a bad idea, it could better prepare students for “the real world.” Although some people believe that the primary duty of a student is studying, I am of the opposite position. I strongly support the idea that high school students should work throughout high school. This is because they can earn money, become responsible and get experience.
In the book Fast Food Nation: The Darks Side of the All-American Meal, Eric Schlosser claims that fast food impacts more than our eating habits, it impacts “…our economy, our culture, and our values”(3) . At the heart of Schlosser’s argument is that the entrepreneurial spirit —defined by hard work, innovation, and taking extraordinary risks— has nothing to do with the rise of the fast food empire and all its subsidiaries. In reality, the success of a fast food restaurant is contingent upon obtaining taxpayer money, avoiding government restraints, and indoctrinating its target audience from as young as possible. The resulting affordable, good-tasting, nostalgic, and addictive foods make it difficult to be reasonable about food choices, specifically in a fast food industry chiefly built by greedy executives.
The American life has been transformed by the fast food industry not just changing the American diet but also the culture, workplace, economy, and the landscape. “Today about half of the money used to buy food is spent at restaurants-mainly fast food restaurants.” (Schlosser) This could be due to the fact that about two-thirds of working women are mothers. The impact of fast food on the American culture is transparent when just looking at McDonald’s. McDonald’s has become the world’s most famous brand; the golden arches are more known than the Christian cross. “A survey of American schoolchildren found that 96 percent could identify Ronald McDonald.” (Schlosser) McDonald’s is responsible for 90 percent of new jobs in The United States. The landscape has changed due to the fast food ...
...ompanies targeting the youth is un doubtable true. In the beginning Zinczenko explains that people compare this matter and owners of fast cars getting speeding tickets saying its all personal responsibility but the point in the end that Zinczenko is trying to make is that if we continue to blame ourselves these companies are going to be getting away with selling unhealthy food and trying to deceive us in what were eating. I agree with the author’s opinion that we must inform the public and regulate how these companies label their foods. I also agree that we can’t put blame on the public because it is more difficult for the consumer to make informed choices without transpiring. I also believe that the government should continue to regulate the labeling of foods and also try too put a stop to the tricks they use to avoid telling the public what there eating.
It is very common that many high school students hold part time jobs while going to school. When these teens work, they are able to learn and experience life lessons from ethical and moral work. Knowing that school is aways and should be a priority, students should work while in high school because working helps students be more responsible with their lives, help them practice time managment, and also helps students see and experience the real world.