WEEK 5
Choose one of the two options:
(i) Drawing from Ritzer’s account of ‘McDonaldization’, give an example of something in our society that has ‘rationalized’ over time (an example not covered in the reading or the lecture). Be sure to explain this development in relation to at least one of Ritzer’s criteria for ‘McDonaldization’ or rationalization.
or
(ii) Provide an example of a ‘bullshit job’ not already covered in the lecture or reading. Be sure to explain your example in relation to Graeber’s definition of the term (feel free to draw from personal experience).
Optional addition to the above: was there anything in the readings you found unclear? were you left with further questions? you may include that in your post.
WEEK 6
• Reflecting on your own childhood upbringing, & the reading by Lareau for this week, did you grow up with parents or guardians who approached child-rearing through ‘concerted cultivation’, ‘accomplishment of natural growth’, some combination of the two, or a different approach altogether? Give an example, highlighting the criteria for the child-rearing approach(es) you’re describing. If you have space, you may also consider if your experience correlates to the social class differences the author highlights (e.g. does her attribution of concerted cultivation to middle/upper-middle class families & accomplishment of natural growth to working-class/impoverished families seem accurate in your experience?).
Or:
• Watch the 20-minute NFB documentary, Up Against the System (1969). Although this was made in Toronto over half a century ago, the realities on display remain highly relevant today. What kind of social barriers to getting out of poverty do you see described in the video? Make at least one connection to one of our two readings for the week. Optional addition: tell us something new you learned from the video.
