Amitai Etzioni, in the essay, “Working at Mc. Donald’s” discusses his opinion that working at restaurants like Mc. Donald’s can most of the times influence teenagers in a bad way. They lose most of their study time while they work at restaurants and other work places. He supports his argument with the example that these kinds of jobs will never provide any kind of training to the students that will equip them for the future life. The skills required for these kinds of jobs require less time to acquire and the disadvantage is that once the job is quit, the skill goes with it. Etzioni also reminds that efficiency is very much essential for the work at restaurants especially in Mc. Donald’s. Patience and calmness alone can meet the requirements of these kinds of jobs. The employee needs to master these techniques essential to pacify the client’s temperament.
Another major issue pointed out by Etzioni is that working more hours in these restaurants affects the positive extra-curricular activities of teenagers. They also lose grades that diminish their chances to acquire higher education. At the same time these works allow the students to gain extra money that they can utilize for their studies. A good working experience also gives them enough chance in the future to get highly paid jobs. Another demerit is that the students may make mistakes when get money at a young age. They should know perfect money management, which will otherwise pose a serious threat for both them and the society.
What I personally feel about the essay is that it cleverly traces out the merits and demerits of working in the Mc. Donald’s and other such restaurants. When it affects the study hours of individuals, if properly utilized, it can also offer them proper working experience and better jobs in the future. It can mould them in many ways that help them develop many skills and traits.
Entrepreneurship: Free Enterprise, the ability to develop a new venture understanding all the risks to make profit.
Delinquent: Antisocial.
Merchandizing: Marketing.
Apprentices: Trainees.
Illicit: Illegal.
Works Cited
Etzioni, Amitai. "Working at McDonald’s”, The Washington Post, 24th August 1986
