Paper One:  The McDonaldization of Society

 Due:

 Worth:  100 points

 Directions (Please also follow directions for papers included in the syllabus): 

 Part I:

For this paper you will use a research method commonly used in sociology and anthropology called participant observation research.    When one conducts participant observation research, one places him or her self in the situation for which he/she wants to gather data.  To gather data for this paper you will be a participant observer at a local fast food restaurant, preferably McDonald’s, but Burger King, Hardees, Wendy’s, etc. will suffice (please refrain from conducting your research a pizza restaurant, not that I have an aversion to pizza but rather they don’t quite fit into a “fast food” mode).   Choose a fast food restaurant that has counter service and sit at a booth or table where you can directly observe the activity taking place both in front of and behind the counter.

What to look for:

1.               What is the complete cycle of interaction between the customer and the employees behind the counter?

a.      What does the employee say?

b.     What does the employed do?

2.               How many different jobs are there behind the counter?  Record some possible job titles for them.  

3.               Is someone obviously in charge?  How can you tell?

4.               How is the person in charge controlling the subordinate employees?

5.               Give an example of each of Ritzer’s four points about McDonaldization (efficiency, calcuability, predictability, and control), concluding with:

Part II:

Either while at or en route to your chosen restaurant location, observe humans being controlled by non-human technology (i.e.: debit/credit card machines, drive through, traffic lights, etc.).

What to look for:

1.               Location of observation and the technology “in control”

2.               Who is being controlled?

3.               How many people are being controlled

4.         The situation surrounding the interaction between the humans and non-human   technology.

 For your paper:

 Please recreate as best as possible your observations in terms of the interactions you observed, the location, and so on.  Also include any specific language or gestures used.  Was the process of ordering food or the interaction between human and nonhuman technology always a smooth one?  Were there times when it did NOT work?  If so, why not?  Why do you think the process worked when it did?

 How do your observations relate to Ritzer’s theory of McDonaldization? What other aspects of society are driven by Ritzer’s concepts of Efficiency, Predictability, Calcuability, and Control of Non-human technology.

Papers should be 3-4 pages in length, typed using a MAC or PC, doubled spaced, stapled, with one inch margins, and, if applicable, cited in ASA or APA format. 

**Remember to turn this paper in through Moodle