Sociologist, Benjamin Barber, coined the term "McWorld" to explain the world that the fast food enterprise has created. People fear that through this McDonalization we are imposing our culture on other countries and therefore attempting to westernize the world. "McDonald's now ranks as the most widely recognized brand in the world, more familiar than Coca-Cola" (Schlosser 229). The outcome of this issue can potentially be viewed with a level of resentment from other countries for attempting to make them like the United States.
Of the many topics addressed in the book, the issue of employee treatment interested me the most. The majority of McDonald's employees are teenagers because of the low wages and high turnover rate. In 1938 Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act that determined a minimum wage, and imposed limitations of child labor. The intent of the Act was to protect teenagers but it doesn't really do a good job of it. Many are working overtime and are not receiving the pay they deserve. The executives in the fast food industry continue to prosper and make money while the underdog employees are scrambling to pay their monthly rent. Back in the 60's and 70's the McDonald employees tried to join unions to have better wages and benefits, but the executives shut that down by treating the future jobs of the employees. Even today there has been no advancement in the hope of joining a union. .
There was a reporter that made an educated comment regarding the unions, "Did somebody say McUnion? Not if they want to keep their McJob." (Schlosser 77) Karl Marx's theory of class division is exactly what this reporter was comparing the McDonald's control over their employees. Here is a prime example of the rich getting richer and the poor not being able to get out of the basement of society. The executives at McDonald's are denying their employees basic rights. .
I have learned a lot about the fast food industry that I would have never even thought about, after reading this book.