At its core, McDonaldization is creepy. It is a rigid system of expanding consumerism to the point where it seeps into our social constructs and interactions. The basic rules of McDonaldization as it affects us socially are built around the same objective - to move on from one consumer to the next in a quick and efficient manner. Walking into any fast-food restaurant invites you into a world of limited communication, one built upon a set of unspoken social norms. The interaction between yourself and employees at these places is almost always robotic, never extending beyond mere politeness. As an attempt to step outside of this warped world of McDonaldization, I decided to have a full conversation with a Chick-Fil-A employee in which I asked them a few questions to engage beyond the fundamentals of simply ordering a meal. Upon walking into the place, I heard the three cashiers greet each of their customers the exact same way. Chick-Fil-A has an almost comical reputation for its outstanding customer service, yet its employees form of communication with customers still follows a specific set of words to use. The objective still remains to get the person’s order and move on. When I went up to the cashier with a big smile plastered on my face, they immediately reciprocated, asking me what they can get for me right away. I asked the man in front of me how his day was. He said it was great quickly and once again asked what he could get for me. I mulled over the menu and inquired for his own opinion, asking what he would usually get himself. His coworkers glanced over as the line got longer and they began going through customers as he helped me make my selection. He asked what I always get and suggested I try something new, which surprised me because it was a genuine answer on his part. He did seem a bit impatient, the look on his face suggesting that I was slowing him down in a way (I was). The entire interaction seemed longer than it was due to people’s quick selections next to me. The other cashiers had gone through three customers before we were done talking. This made me feel as if I was disrupting the place as a whole, as if I was making everyone inside that Chick-Fil-A wait for me to make selection. So I made my selection immediately after this sense of anxiety and he quickly handed over my receipt and sauces, telling me to have a nice day. He then proceeded to greet the next customer immediately after I turned away. I was going to ask him more about his day, but I genuinely felt guilty disrupting any more of his work shift. Although this minor disruption made for a pleasant conversation and got me to try something new, I was almost anxious while doing it. We are accustomed to merely telling our cashiers what we want and they’re accustomed to moving on quickly and efficiently. The most enlightening part of this exercise was reflecting on it afterwards, realizing that my interaction with the Chick-Fil-A employee was not too long, it was simply a short conversation. This was a humbling experience, one that taught me to appreciate the aspects of my life that are not robotic and predetermined for me. It also made me want to step outside of this rigid system for the sake of rebellion. I should be allowed to have a conversation with an employee without feeling like I'm causing a major disruption to those around. I felt weird and silently rushed, which says a lot about the way we choose to communicate with one another under McDonaldization, building a new norm that is in no way conducive to the quality of social interactions we have with each other daily.
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This morning I went over to my neighbor, Amanda’s, studio apartment. Amanda is a sophomore at Lansing Community College studying Medical Diagnostics Technologies. She drives 15 minutes to class every day, which she says affects the way her fridge looks dramatically. “I work at the LCC five days a week after class, which usually means I eat at Potbelly or Chipotle 2-3 times a week. It’s easier to pick up something after work. I have no time to come home and cook except when I want to make salad, which gets boring after a while.” Amanda says she still manages to eat healthy despite this. “I still manage to eat pretty well. Grocery shopping is my chance to do that. Every weekend I head to Kroger and manage to get the essential fruits and vegetables I need like potatoes, strawberries, avocados, greens, etc. I love making food, but I never have time and when I do I’m always tired. But I still set a goal to put time aside and cook something more than a salad at least twice a week,” she continued. This week she made chicken soup that she froze, along with chicken breast, cod, and salmon. She thaws and cooks them, meal-prepping for up to 3 days.
9/17/18
Breakfast -
9/18/18 Breakfast -
Unpopular opinion: working out in the morning makes you eat like you’ve just returned from having been stuck on a barren, foodless island for two weeks. I’ve always had an appetite, but any source of physical activity early in the morning puts me in starvation mode immediately. Therefore, I split my breakfast in two parts: one for before and another (usually bigger) one for after. This usually keeps me going until I get back to my apartment early in the evening, with the exception of tea or coffee I get while heading to class or a bag of pistachios, cashews, granola, or almonds I pack with me. I don’t really eat lunch. I try to make all my dinners in under an hour, usually even 30 minutes. I’m big on drinks of all kind, so the fridge always has juices like pomegranate or grape that count as snacks to me. I try to go for juices with one ingredient only, especially if they’re fresh but that’s rare. Snacking is probably my biggest problem. The need to have something sweet directly after every meal is something so innate within me that I don’t think it will ever change. I believe that I do a pretty good job of eating clean, but something about a lonely pint of lemon pistachio ice cream sitting in the freezer or a flake of salt resting on a perfect piece of chocolate sucks me right in. Monitoring my food intake was difficult at first, but it made me aware of all the progress I've made since I started cooking for myself. These two days helped me become more conscientious of what I put in my body. They forced me to realize that I have the power to limit the intake of processed or unhealthy food more than I think I do. This has been a theme in the class that interested me a lot. As consumers we often underestimate the level of control we have, especially when we have the resources and money to buy healthier foods. The choice of giving my body nutrition that is beneficial is there, which means I should take full advantage of it. I have a job and I'm not responsible for a family, which puts me in a place of privilege that I've recently become more aware of due to this course. Food, especially healthy food, is a luxury nowadays. Treating it as such makes me more appreciative and grateful for what I have. |
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