A corporate brand that I find meaningful and has changed the effects on our world is Apple.  Apple has changed my life. I am not kidding. I mean that in the most honest way I can put it. Before I owned an iPhone, I was stuck with a ghetto metro phone. Not because I couldn’t afford it, but because I had no idea what I was missing. You can’t miss what you do not know.

To begin with, everything made by Apple is beautiful. Everything made just looks and feels so nice. For example, the Apple iPhones. Those phones are gorgeous all by themselves and when comparing to other phones, they just make everything look ugly and cheap. The iPhones look classy and sleek. The simplicity of them is incredible. They are so easy to work with. Easier than any other phone I’ve ever tried.

Secondly, the Apple Bluetooth air pods work seamlessly with the phone. Once you connect those babies, they automatically connect for you each and every time. You don’t even need to take your phone out of your back pocket to know who’s calling you because Siri will tell you in your ear. When your conversation is over, all you do is double tap your air pod and it will automatically disconnect. It’s amazing! The iPhone and air pods complement each other like fine wine, incredibly compatible.

Lastly, their MacBook, which is my next purchase on the list in comparison to other laptops are incomparable. My friend Timmy has a MacBook and since then I have been saving up to own that bad boy. Although the only downfall to Apple is that it is not exactly affordable, I would say it is still incredibly worth its weight in gold!

“The next three decades may be the most decisive thirty-year period in human history.” This summarization of this Chapter seems like such a powerful and true statement.  Globalization and the speed in which it is traveling is impressive. From the United States to countries around the world, it seems that they learn from the Western culture at an alarmingly fast rate and respond to it just the same.

The differences between our culture and let’s say, India, is immense.  For example, in India, Women use veiling as a form of Purdah, yet when they come to the United States and deal with resocialization and the norms and differences in American woman, I can just imagine the disbelief.  Western culture does not discriminate when it comes to our clothing. Young girls are not wrapped in Sari’s, if anything it is quite the opposite. Young girls are wearing short shorts, and mid riff tops with no regard to who sees them.  Different cultures have different values which obviously leads to value judgement. Doesn’t mean either is wrong or right, just different.

Another trend moving us between the ages is technology which I respect and admire. My sister couldn’t have children, so her partner through invitro fertilization held her twin baby girls and son in order for her to achieve her dream of having a family. This is so amazing. That we are in an era where doctors can inseminate someone with fertilized eggs that are not your own, and sperm and you can carry other people’s children. I find this so fascinating. This is definitely a technological wonder to be respected and revered. It will be interesting to see what the future holds, but also scary at the same time.

When I was 14, I worked at McDonald’s. I was so young and impressionable. I was forced to learn a lot in a short time. Working at McDonald’s had some very intimidating moments. It taught me that I needed to work fast, that I needed to work hard, and that I better get it right the first time. It taught me a lot about work ethics. I have always been raised with respect, but it taught me that “The Customer Is Always Right.” I never had much of a problem with disrespectful or angry customers because I have never been a hot head so I can deal with those circumstances effectively. If the customer has a complaint, you usually just give them what they want.

As having been a McDonald’s employee, I agree that their routine methods are efficient and effective. Everything is always done the same way, day in and day out and you better believe it’s your ass if you do something wrong or different. Everything is on a set timer from the fries to the routinization of flipping the burgers. It is quite amazing how quickly you can train the employees to do things in such a repetitive manner. Individualism is definitely not praised in this environment and if anything has just been eliminated completely. As Leidner mentions, rationalization is key for McDonald’s.

I feel that many things in our lives have become rationalized. We need to be careful that automatic systems and robotic humans which become eventually just robots don’t take over our lives. The systems put in place to make everything work more effectively are destroying our social interactions. Think about it. The employee behind the counter cannot even greet us how he likes. He must say, “hi, how can I help you today?” or something to that effect, it’s been a long time. Their greeting is made so uniform that it extends globally across the world. This extends to many other things as well. I can’t ever get an actual human operator without pressing many zero’s first and hearing automated options that waste my time. Talking on the phone is no longer a thing, but texting is everything. Our relations with people are being compromised. I think it’s important to interact with people and not always worry about the speed in which they deliver our food and we shouldn’t minimize our social interactions the way we are doing so.

       This chapter had me both laughing and crying. It’s been years since I waitressed, but I know all too well probably every experience Ehrenreich mentioned. Nobody realizes, unless you have personally done this job, the pain and discouragement that comes with waitressing. It’s a minimum wage job full of get me this and get me that with barely any please and thank you’s attached to the requests. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it doesn’t matter how hard you try to keep every table happy, they are probably going to give you a tip that sucks.

        Nobody will ever understand the struggles one endures as a minimum wage worker. You bust your ass at work and it goes unnoticed. Cooks are mad at you as if you’re making the crazy requests. Managers are yelling at you to hurry up, clean something, don’t sit, don’t eat. But their butts are sitting and eating literally all day long! It is incredible what the food service industry allows their managers to get away with. I know. I did it for 10 years! I watched it happen at every single restaurant.

        Fortunately for me, I had another 9-5 job that was at a Real Estate office and I would do that on the weekends. I can’t imagine not having had that job because the struggle that all of my co-workers endured at the restaurant is literally identical to the story, she experienced completing her ethnography. Their low wages were barely enough to keep them surviving. They all had to rent a house and share bedrooms and rents. They would back each other up when one was sick or had to leave early or couldn’t come in. There was nothing like their love, loyalty, and friendship.

         If there is one thing I agree with and will say, I have never again seen the camaraderie we shared at this restaurant. It was beautiful and loving. It is so unfortunate that most of them will never be able to know their worth to change their circumstances because most of them have things preventing them from succeeding. It’s so sad too because they are all amazing people but unlike me, many restaurant workers are usually undocumented workers or working under someone else’s name and legalization is something they can’t even afford. I learned from that and took action. I am here, back in school, trying to get my Bachelor’s in Psychology.

 

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This chapter had me both laughing and crying. It’s been years since I
waitressed, but I know all too well probably every experience Ehrenreich
mentioned. Nobody realizes, unless you have personally done this job, the pain
and discouragement that comes with waitressing. It’s a minimum wage job full of
get me this and get me that with barely any please and thank you’s attached to
the requests. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it doesn’t matter how hard you try
to keep every table happy, they are probably going to give you a tip that
sucks.

Nobody will ever understand the struggles one endures as a minimum wage
worker. You bust your ass at work and it goes unnoticed. Cooks are mad at you
as if you’re making the crazy requests. Managers are yelling at you to hurry
up, clean something, don’t sit, don’t eat. But their butts are sitting and
eating literally all day long! It is incredible what the food service industry
allows their managers to get away with. I know. I did it for 10 years! I
watched it happen at every single restaurant.

Fortunately for me, I had another 9-5 job that was at a Real Estate office
and I would do that on the weekends. I can’t imagine not having had that job
because the struggle that all of my co-workers endured at the restaurant is
literally identical to the story, she experienced completing her ethnography.
Their low wages were barely enough to keep them surviving. They all had to rent
a house and share bedrooms and rents. They would back each other up when one
was sick or had to leave early or couldn’t come in. If there is one thing I
agree with and will say, I have never again seen the camaraderie we shared at
this restaurant. It was beautiful and loving. It is so unfortunate that most of
them will never be able to know their worth to change their circumstances
because most of them have things preventing them from succeeding. It’s so sad
too because they are all amazing people but unlike me, many restaurant workers
are usually undocumented workers or working under someone else’s name and
legalization is something they can’t even afford.

 

In our culture, fast food is a guilty pleasure. It is an indescribable, enjoyable weakness. We crave it, we want it, we gotta have it. Unfortunately, the fast-food industry has many issues we are all aware about. One issue is that the food is not good for us. As a matter of fact, it is degradating to our health. We should not be eating the crap, but we do. Why? Because it tastes good.

Secondly, they exploit their workers. They pay minimal labor wages to their employees and treat them like crap. I worked at Mc Donalds when I was 15. My manager was so mean. She was bossy and treated everybody, although we were all just high school students doing our best, like the bottom of her shoe. She would be angry when it came time to take our breaks and she would always cut our breaks short. God forbid if we had to use the rest room outside of our break times. Our food had to be paid with a few bucks off and there were no freebies. She was cuthroat. I hated it there. For the poverty wages they paid, I commend anybody who is able to do this job.

Lastly, places like Mc Donald’s have negative impacts on our environments. From the beef industry to their packaging and pollution, all of this affects our climate and has effects on global warming as well. The reality is fast-food restaurants are not going anywhere. They are here to stay because the satisfaction one gets from a burger and fries, unfortunately is incomparable to anything else and the convenience of a drive through is what drives today’s culture. We live in a society that we are always in a rush. These fast-food chains provide us with in and out service to accommodate our rushed lifestyle.

Well, this is an easy one. Growing up, my parents always made me go to church. When I was young, I spent all of my Sundays, Monday nights, and Thursday nights going to the Kingdom Hall. I conformed because I didn’t have a choice. I can say that when I was little, I didn’t mind it as much as I did once I was a teenager. Once I was a teenager and my parents were still dressing me up in Mexican looking dresses to my ankles, it got a little bit embarassing.

My parents were very strict old-fashioned Mexican parents that didn’t play. What they said went, no questions asked. I conformed to their authority and in order to fit in with my family and their church. I had to obey them or there was consequences. It’s not like today, that children can actually have choices. I wasn’t raised that way. I was raised in a “do as I say, not as I do” type of home. It was a very authoritarian home.

Now that I am grown up, although I don’t really attend any church much, it’s funny how certain beliefs stayed in my heart. I possibly go once a year because my sister asks me to go for the “Resurrection of Jesus Christ” because she is still Jehovah’s Witness and I love her and respect her so I try to make her happy. Once again, continuing to conform.

Have I ever succumbed to the pressure of a purchase because I thought that it would give me status in a group or a possible sense of belonging? Yes. I am absolutely sure that everyone in their life time will feel these types of pressures. About 9 years ago, I had a boyfriend that hated the fact that I drove a 2 door Honda Accord. My car was cute. It was brand new off the lot when I purchased it. He felt that I should be driving a car that looked hot and made me look hot in it. He wanted me to get a 2010 Chevy Camaro, but I ended up getting talked into buying a Dodge Challenger. This is the perfect example of not standing up for myself, being obedient even though I knew it’s not exactly what I wanted. Was the car nice? Hell yes! Was it a bad ass car? Umm, yeah! Was it what I would have chosen without the push and his bullying of encouragement? No. Never in a million years.

I allowed the pressure of a boyfriend to talk me into this purchase, knowing the payment was going to go up and knowing that it would still be my responsibility. I still didn’t have what I have now: A backbone. If somebody tried now to tell me what I need to have or make me feel that there is something I need to own, I would send them right back to where they came from. As you get older, you grow. You gain a sense of self. You know who you are. I didn’t have that 9 years ago.  And of course, he is no longer in my life. Oh, and neither is the car.

I did not feel an ounce of satisfaction. I did not feel happy or proud. Instead, I felt shame. I felt anger and it was not with him. It was with me. This was a big turning point for me in my life and it helped me to reflect on who I was and how I had to change for myself in the future. It helped me to realize that it is impossible to always try to make people happy. The car was his desire, yet it was my responsibility. I can now see the need I had to be socially accepted among him, his friends (because they loved that car), and everyone else around me. Of course, as previously mentioned, I am a grown woman now. I thrive on finding my own identity and cannot be bullied anymore otherwise.

In one of my very early Psychology courses, I heard the example about the experiment that was conducted that was mentioned in class. The questions was, “if a researcher would pay me money, would I zap someone behind the window and would I keep zapping them when being encouraged by the researcher to do so even though the person was saying to stop because it hurt?” Also, they had already told me it couldn’t harm the person, it could just cause painful discomfort. My professor said, I most likely would. I clearly remember how that made me feel. I remember questioning the idea because I didn’t think I would or could do that. However, when she explained that obedience is a big part of it, I knew she was right. I was taught to respect my elders or do as told by authority, therefore, for the most part I have been an obedient person. When it was put to me in that perspective, I realized holy crap, she’s right. I probably would have zapped the crap out of somebody and then went home traumatized and cried about it.

When Dr. Mersmann asked in class to go home and read this article and then talk about it, my heart sunk not sure of what I would be reading.  The following class, students asked regarding Hitler and why everybody went along with his crazy, sick ideas to kill the Jews. Understandably, being disobedient would have gotten them killed. Also, being obedient and doing as your told, especially with government and people in power and with authority, you also just do as your told. There is no way that I believe that they did not know that it was wrong. There is no way that I believe they had a chance to say no. I do although believe that it could have been prevented if somebody would have stood up but instead every country, along with the German people turned a blind eye and instead helped with a massacre and the destruction of the Jewish people. They committed a genocide.

Milgram, the researcher that performed the above experiment was an unethical sociologist and obviously used practices that will never be used or allowed again. The fact that he passively said that the shocks wouldn’t leave permanent damage, that they weren’t dangerous, and they were only painful describes how far people are willing to go in order to understand the human mind and what drives us as people.  What should have happened in this experiment is that he should have been brave enough to be the guinea pig that they were zapping. That way, when he screamed it hurt, he could remember to tell himself, “no worries, it’s not dangerous, it’s just painful!”

Who doesn’t love shopping? Shopping can be used to relieve stress, get rid of boredom, and just for plain old pleasurable social interactions. What makes the difference in my eyes is the type of shopper the person is. I know so many women that own expensive bags, shoes, clothes, hats, and yet they stay home collecting welfare and stay charging up their credit cards. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. My parents always told me if you don’t have the money to buy it, then you don’t need it until you do have the money to pay for it in cash. That’s the difference. They taught me to spend my money on things I need and save my money for the eventual things I would want.

Simply spending your money to acquire things you don’t need is just plain stupid but, in our society, everybody is so interested in showing off what they have even if they don’t own it outright. Men will have the best shoes and rims on their ghetto ride but will still live with their mom’s. Girls will have children, will spend their last dollar on their outfit for the club on the weekend and yet still live with their parents. It doesn’t matter to them though because society says you should have the best of the best and that gives them all a purpose to go blow their money.

Another example is Black Friday, the most shopped day of the year, which by the way is the day I don’t leave my house. That is their social solidarity. I don’t need it. Nobody needs another 60-inch T.V., or another gaming console after the 2 they already have, or those shoes that are 30% off to add to your closet collection of 100’s but there they go. They camp out for items they want, not need, just to save a penny. They go as far as fighting to get the shopping items they went for. This is insane to me. There is not one specific thing that can go on sale to make me camp in a parking lot overnight, not one. They couldn’t motivate me if they tried.

Individualism has always been important to me. I enjoy my time alone and if I shop I usually do it alone. It doesn’t make me feel isolated, it just allows me to get in and get out with the things that I need as quickly as I can. Is that weird? I don’t think so. I believe everybody is different and although some women love to shop, I so much don’t. I don’t really conform to social norms and their shopping social problems will not be mine.

What can I say about this chapter? I will start with saying that I did not enjoy it, nor did I enjoy the jokes being made by the funeral workers to pass their time at our loved one’s expense. I totally understand the need to make time go by and just as one is working in an office and jokes around with coworkers throughout the day, they do as well. However, calling a drowning victim a “floater” or a burned victim a “crispy critter” is just disgusting in every sense of the way. There must be, and I mean has to be other ways or other jokes that they can make that is not so demeaning and hurtful and heart wrenching to my ears.

It is understandable that the stigma that comes with being a mortician or funeral director is tough. They must endure so much social skepticism. In all reality, one does have to wonder what type of person do you have to be, or what kind of heart do you carry inside you to allow yourself to work around death day in and day out? It also made me realize the stigma that does go behind working with death and profiting for it. I can only imagine that I meet someone, and he says I’m a funeral director. I would say, “in other words a mortician?” No, thank you! Next! I just can’t imagine that person coming home to me with the smell of dead bodies after working on reconstructing them all day long. I would die, literally.

Nevertheless, I do agree that somebody must do the job. I do agree that whoever that somebody is must endure tons of occupational judgment but at the end of the day, they are who we look to when our loved ones die. They are who we turn to and expect professionalism and beautiful services because of their experience in the loss of our beloveds.