Cody Browning
Soc. 101
Dr. Banerjee
July 24, 2014
Introduction
The article that I researched dealt with the mistreatment of McDonalds employees compared to the TFW (Temporary Foreign Workers). It also regarded whether or not McDonalds was abusing the TFW program. The article had a few people who are McDonalds’ employees speak about their thoughts on the matter. McDonalds’ employees shared that they felt that local workers who are regular citizens of their country were being mistreated and losing their jobs to foreign workers for unfair reasons because of their race. Some people believe that McDonalds is hiring on foreign workers and dismissing local hard working employees due to the unjust
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This is an unfair assumption, but McDonalds argues that foreign workers are not treated any better or worse than other employees. "McDonald’s employs more than 85,000 people across Canada; only four per cent are temporary foreign workers...Only 268 of our more than 1,400 restaurants across the country employ temporary foreign workers.” said the McDonalds Company. An employee of another McDonalds, named Tia Kosmachuck stated, “ I work at a McDonalds in Lethbridge and all the foreign workers get all the hours and better pay and I am a single mom I can’t survive working just part time if this doesn’t change I am leaving McDonalds and finding better work.” However, another bystander, John Medrana said, “Temporary foreign workers are a lot more industrious, reliable and most of all very efficient towards their work.” This article discusses the stereotypes bestowed on McDonalds’ employees and foreign workers in general. McDonalds argues, however, that the TFW program is not being abused. McDonalds said, …show more content…
Chapter one is titled, “An Introduction to Sociology in the Global Age”, and discusses social changes within the last few centuries involving the industrial revolution and it also discusses processes associated with groups, cultures, organizations, societies, as well as the world that they are a part of. I believe that this article relates to chapter one in a big way. In chapter one they discuss McDonalization, a process where rational principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of society and more societies throughout the world (Ritzer, pg. 10). Within the chapter’s explanation of McDonalization it talks about how Rationality can paradoxically lead to its exact opposite irrationality (George Ritter, pg. 10). This deals with my article, because the rational thought that McDonalds is having is that they want to have the best business they can and be successful, which is a good goal to have, however, to achieve this rational goal they are stereotyping there loyal employees and mistreating them which in the long run can lead to job dissatisfaction as well as hurt them financially. This would suggest the irrational side of the rational goal due to the negative effects on the employees. Treating people poorly so that one can prosper is an irrational concept that questions morality. Another
Chapter one examines the various occupations at McDonalds's. Barbara Garson finds that most workers here tend to dislike their jobs. Due to the tremendous amount of stress created by automated systems such as timers and computer generated productivity statistics McDonald's has a high turn over rate in employment.
Although the author acknowledges that the McDonaldization thesis is rooted in Weber's reflections on rationality, specifically the notion of the "iron cage of rationality," he prefers the "simplicity" of Mannheim's thinking on the subject. The latter, for example, locates the fundamental irrationality of highly rationalized systems, such as McDonaldized ones, in threats to the ability to think; whereas, the former emphasizes threats to human values, an area the author deems unnecessarily messy for the purposes of his theoretical analysis. The author further justifies this position by noting the cognitive demands of the present post-industrial system in which human beings live. Indeed, it is the dehumanization resulting from the simultaneous increase in functional rationality and decrease in substantive rationality, which rationalized systems demand and perpetuate, that animates the author.
At the end of chapter six, George Ritzer lists suggestions for those of us who wish to combat McDonaldization, a term he coined himelf, and the topic of this essay. Ritzer warns the reader to not fall victim to the, “mindless trap,”(Ritzer 158) of Mcdonalized systems. He writes that, “a major motivation behind writing this book is to alert reader to the dangers of McDonaldization and to motivate them to act to stem its tide”(Ritzer 161). Despite McDonaldizations great momentum, natural limits and personal interests provide barriers to it. Ritzer feels that the struggle itself, to combat Mcdonaldization, is ennobling. In this essay I will attempt to accomplish three objectives. First, I will relate Ritzers study to max weber’s theory of rationalization. Second, I will describe the
Over five years after the 2008 economic crisis, the Canadian economy is still in rough waters. Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has been lagging below 2% and falling short of economists’ predictions (Hodgson, 2014), with no small part due to the stunted American and European recoveries. Tied into this is the country’s unemployment rate, which has hovered around 7% for over a year, while the rate for those aged 15-24 is nearly double, at 13.6% (Statistics Canada, 2014). Clearly, there is a need for more jobs in the country. At the same time, however, Canadian companies have been bringing in Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) to fill what they call a “jobs gap”: that there are places in the country where the labour supply is nonexistent, and outside help is needed to fill certain roles. This has set off a firestorm of controversy, both in the commercial and political realms, with accusations of corporate greed and government apathy abounding, as unemployed Canadians are seemingly passed-over for available jobs. This paper will explore how TFWs are filling a necessary role in the economy, and are not “taking jobs” from Canadians, and will then analyze what governments and businesses can do to change the program, how immigration reform can play a role in filling jobs and lowering unemployment, and what risks a focus on a “skills gap” instead of a “jobs gap” can have on the economy.
The United States cannot afford to lose the economic gains that come from immigrant labor. The economy would be suffering a greater loss if it weren’t for immigrants and their labor contributions, especially during the 2008 U.S. recession. The U.S. economy would most likely worsen if it weren’t for the strong labor force immigrants have provided this country. Despite the mostly negative views native-born Americans have towards immigrants and the economy, their strong representation in the labor forces continues today. Immigrants aren’t taking “American” jobs, they are taking the jobs that Americans don’t want (Delener & Ventilato, 2008). Immigrants contribute to various aspects of the economy, including brining valuable skills to their jobs, contributing to the cost of living through taxes, and the lacked use of welfare, healthcare, and social security when compared to native-born Americans, showing that the United States cannot afford to lose the contribution immigrants bring into the economy.
During the 20th century, there was an urgent need for migrant workers in Florida due to several factors. Many migrant workers, my family, and myself included saw better ways of life in Florida.
The McDonaldization of Society The McDonaldization of society may sound somewhat misleading but the term actually refers to the rationalization of society. The use of the word "McDonaldization" just simply indicates that the fast food restaurant is one of many great examples of rationality. Ritzer discusses five dimensions that characterize rationality or a rationalized society: efficiency, predictability, calculability, the use and preference of non-human technology, and the control over uncertainty. The five characteristics can be noticed in various aspects of society which exemplifies the extent that rationality affects our society and societies worldwide. In this paper I will summarize Ritzer's discussion of these five characteristics and give possible examples of each dimension.
McDonald’s workforce consist of 73 percent women and people of color making, 43 percent of them are franchise staff and 55 percent are suppliers; additionally, the company has two stores opening everyday in China (Singh, 2010). Furthermore, Lee and Kye-Sung (2000) states 49 percent of McDonald’s total revenue comes from the international market. Gibison (2008) states in order for McDonald’s to reach and increase consumers from diverse backgrounds and different cultures the company tailor its menu by added specialty food for different countries and cultures. An example is the company...
McDonalds over the years has defended its unethical practices and those of their franchisees, they have been slapped with numerous lawsuits for various violations w...
"Studying McDonald's ABroad: Overseas Branches Merge Regional Preferences, Corporate Directives." Editorial. Nations Restaurant News 11 Nov. 2005: n. pag. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 5 Mar. 2013.
Ritzer, George. The McDonaldization of Society. Revised New Century Edition. California: Pine Forge Press, 2004.
Young adults will be randomly split into groups of 4. Each group will be assigned a different theme. These themes will include topics such
It has been estimated that one out of eight workers at some point of their career worked at McDonald's. Today there are approximately 3.5 million fast food workers and they constitute the largest group of the minimum wage earners in the country. According to Schlosser, "the only Americans who consistently earn a lower hourly wage are migrant farm workers ." "Fast Food Nation" is the story of the postwar America. Fast food industry has pushed the homogenization of our society. The author is very convincing in making his arguments and supports them with a wide variety of examples. It is impossible to disagree with what he is saying because the evidence in support to his statements is around us.
Overall, McDonalds are able to reach customers all around the globe and they market their products inexpensively. According to Naim (2001, p. 1) it is acknowledged that, “McDonald 's is a global brand, but we run our business in a fundamentally different way that ought to appeal to some critics of globalization. We are a decentralized entrepreneurial network of locally owned stores that is very flexible and adapts very well to local conditions. We offer an opportunity to entrepreneurs to run a local business with local people supplied by a local infrastructure. Each creates a lot of small businesses around
Employee stakeholders have another story. The discrimination lawsuits ranging from female employees not getting equal pay or equal positions, to disabled employees, class-action lawsuits stating that Wal-Mart doctors questionnaires to prevent disabled workers from applying, Wal-Mart does not rank very high with these employees. Lawsuits stemming from Wal-Mart’s failure to monitor labor conditions at oversea factories and hires illegal immigrants add to the rift in relations between the employees and the company. Wal-Mart continues to deny charges...