Answer to Question #215702 in Sociology for Iftekhar

Question

What aspects of the social and work environment in a
fast-food restaurant would be of particular interest to
a sociologist? How would the sociological imagina￾tion help in analyzing the topic?

Answer 1

Personally, I would look at the self-esteem and overall belief in self-worth and self image of the workers. While some workers have healthy self-image and are using the job as a stepping stone to greater opportunities, some workers take these jobs because they feel that's the best they can get or have been denied other opportunities so many times, they take the first job that they get offered just to help them survive. Feeding people is a noble thing. You're helping get them essential nutrients the human body needs to survive. However, just like any other job, people who feel their contributions are minuscule will often not use their strongest attributes and their strongest work ethic towards performance in an environment where they feel underappreciated. They often associate that appreciation in $$. By being paid less, they feel like they ARE less, which is absolutely untrue.