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| 7216631083 | Keys to Franchise Success | 1) Uniformity 2) Cheap labor-typically teens 3) High turn over 4) Little room for pay increase or advancement 5) Extensive & expensive marketing 6) Direct appeals to young children | 0 | |
| 7216631084 | Drastic Societal Changes that Influenced Fast Food Industry | 1) Population growth-especially during the baby boomer years 2) Massive increase in highways across the nation 3) Massive growth in the housing industry & move to the suburbs 4) Increased car ownership and driving (car culture) 5) Growth of drive-thru chains (food) & assembly line production of food 6) Mass marketing efforts to children—toys, playgrounds, school advertising, etc. 7) Increase in consumption of soda | 1 | |
| 7216631085 | McDonald's Business Model | 1) McDonald's makes money by operating its own restaurants and franchises to third parties. 2) Of its 32,278 restaurants around the world (September 30, 2009), 25,975 (80%) were franchises and 6,303 (20%) were company-operated. | 2 | |
| 7216631086 | Influence of Suburban Sprawl | 1) Growth of suburban strip malls & large shopping malls 2) Growth in fast food industry & strict regimentation & standardization 3) 90% of workers paid an hourly wage (low wage), with no benefits, scheduled to work only when needed 4) Workers subjected to numerous abuses (ex.) paid with food rather than wages for all hours worked | 3 | |
| 7216631087 | Worker Vulnerabilities | 1)Injury rate of teens 2X rate of adults 2) Subjected to workplace violence & victims of robberies (ex.) May 2000, 5 Wendy's employees murdered during a robbery attempt ----->Craig Godineaux was sentenced to five life terms behind bars for his part in the Wendy's Massacure of 2000 | 4 | |
| 7216631088 | Most Popular Fast Food Item | 1) FRIES! Frozen fries—low cost, huge profits 2) Typical American eats > 30 lbs. of frozen fries yearly 3) ½ of potato farmers gone—now Corporate Farms 4) Fries cooked in vegetable oil—taste like beef 5) Aroma of food—90% of flavor—use of flavor additives, chemicals | 5 | |
| 7216631089 | Consolidation of Ranches | 1) Only 4 top meatpacking firms—ConAgra, IBP, Excel, National Beef—allowing mergers without anti-trust violations during Reagan era 2) Slaughter 84% of the nation's cattle 3) Concentration reduces prices for independent ranchers 4) Same thing happened to poultry growers—8 plants control the poultry industry in only 4 states—Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi > ½ of poultry produced | 6 | |
| 7216631090 | McDonald's Chicken McNuggets | 1)McDonald's Chicken McNugget is 56% corn 2) McNuggets also contain several synthetic ingredients, quasiedible substances that ultimately come not from a corn or soybean field but from a petroleum refinery or chemical plant. 3) Most alarming ingredient is TBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone, an antioxidant derived from petroleum that is either sprayed directly on the nugget or the inside of the box it comes in to "help preserve freshness" | 7 | |
| 7216631091 | Status of Ranches | 1) Cheated by large meatpacking giants 2) Traditional way of life of ranchers now destroyed 3) Suicide 3X higher among ranchers & farmers 4) Tangible connection to the past now lost | 8 | |
| 7216631092 | Meatpacking Industry: From Urban to Rural | 1) Past: Cities like NY and Chicago 2) History of abusive practices—book, "Jungle," Upton Sinclaire led to safety legislation in 1906 3) After WWII most jobs union—good paying 4) From 1970s onward one by one they closed down 5) New meatpacking plants now in rural areas—Iowa, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska paying wages up to 50% less than union wages | 9 | |
| 7216631093 | ConAgra | 1) #1 producer of french fries & largest sheep & turkey processor 2) #2 manufacture of frozen food & flour miller 3) #3 producer of chicken & pork 4) Largest distributor of agricultural chemicals 5) Leading seed & feed producer 6) Sells food under 100 consumer brand names | 10 | |
| 7216631094 | Tax Shelters of Large Corporations | 1) ConAgra influenced re-writing of Nebraska's tax code 2) Lower taxes paid by large corporations & wealthy executives 3) Provided tax deductions for ConAgra's corporate jets 4) Due to the 1987 legislation, IBP paid NO corporate taxes in Nebraska for the next decade 5) 1997 IBP re-located to South Dakota with NO corporate or personal income taxes 6) From 1967 onward, IBP crushed labor unions | 11 | |
| 7216631095 | Changing Nature of Lexington | 1) 1990, IBP opened new slaughterhouse, pop. 7,000 2) 1991, highest crime rate in Nebraska 3) 2000, # of serious crimes doubled & became a major distributer of illegal drugs 4) Gangs, drive-by shootings appeared 5) Latino inhabitants increased ten-fold, now 50% of pop 6) White inhabitants left 7) 1 slaughterhouse responsible for such sudden change, hardship, and despair | 12 | |
| 7216631096 | Most Dangerous Job | 1) Common injuries: lacerations, tendinitis, back & shoulder problems, "trigger-finger," trauma, carpel tunnel syndrome, accidential stabbings of self & others 2) Meatpacking industry—1/3 higher than national average in industry 3) IBP directly responsible for many of the hazards due to the expectations of speed working the assembly line 4) Widespread methamphetamine abuse 5) Late-night cleaning crew jobs also very dangerous | 13 | |
| 7216631097 | Rise in Food-borne Illnesses | 1) Changes in how food is produced 2) Industrialization & centralization of food processing can lead to statewide or even national outbreaks 3) Huge feedlots, slaughterhouses, hamburger grinders allow for wide dispersal of food supply 4) According to the CDC, > ¾ of food-related illnesses & deaths caused by infectious agents NOT YET IDENTIFIED | 14 | |
| 7216631098 | E-Coli Infection | 1) The result of an infection may be as little as a case of diarrhea. 2) From 5 to 10% of people infected develop a serious condition known as haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), in which the kidneys are damaged. 3) HUS can lead to permanent kidney damage, requiring long-term dialysis treatment. Some patients die, with the very young and very old being most at risk. | 15 | |
| 7216631099 | Children Becoming Ill and Dying | 1) > 500,00, mainly children, made ill by E coli 2) Thousands hospitalized 3) Hundreds died 4) Herds of cattle became infected via being fed livestock waste (dead sheep & cattle) until 1997 when the FDA banned such practices 5) However, allow cattle feed to contain dead pigs, horses & chickens 6) Also fed to cattle, waste products from poultry, including sawdust & old newspapers | 16 | |
| 7216631100 | Spread of Pathogens | 1) Spread not only in feedlots but also at slaughterhouses & hamburger grinders 2) 1 infected animal can contaminate 32,000 lbs of ground beef 3) 1 fast food hamburger can contain meat from dozens or even hundreds of different cattle 4) Reagan & Bush administrations cut spending on public health measures & staffed U.S. Dept of Agriculture with officials more interested in deregulation than food safety | 17 | |
| 7216631101 | Meatpacking Allies in Congress | 1) 1990s Congressional support thwart modernization of meat inspection system 2) Even now, USDA cannot demand a recall—just suggest that meat be withdrawn 3) Company under no obligation to inform the public that a recall is taking place 4) Republicans in Congress failed to enact legislation that would demand meat recalls & impose fines on meatpackers (legislation introduced 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) | 18 | |
| 7216631102 | What Kids Eat | 1) In 1980s & 1990s, questionable beef served in school cafeterias 2) Typically sell the cheapest meat to schools 3) 1998, Georgia, 11 year old seriously ill after eating a hamburger at school 4) Tests of ground beef found that the facility was so filthy, USDA withdrew inspectors, a highly unusual move 5) Next day, company's owner committed suicide | 19 | |
| 7216631103 | Obesity Statistics | 1) Obesity is the #2 cause of preventable death in U.S. ----->60 million Americans, 20 years and older are obese ----->9 million children and teens ages 6-19 are overweight 2) Being overweight or obese increases the risk of health conditions and diseases including: Breast cancer, Coronary heart disease, Type II diabetes, Sleep apnea, Gallbladder disease, Osteoarthritis, Colon cancer, Hypertension and Stroke | 20 | |
| 7216631104 | Obesity Among Children | 1) Diabetes, hypertension & other obesity-related chronic diseases prevalent among adults, now more common in youngsters. 2) % of children & adolescents who are overweight & obese is now higher than ever before. Poor dietary habits and inactivity are reported to contribute to the increase of obesity in youth. 3) Today's youth are considered the most inactive generation in history caused in part by reductions in school P.E. programs & unavailable or unsafe community recreational facilities. | 21 | |
| 7216631105 | Explain the irony of the scene that Schlosser depicts regarding Cheyenne Mountain. | Cheyenne Mountain is beautiful and serene that could be quite possibly be found as "the backdrop of an old Hollywood Western." However, one of the nation's most important military installations lies within it, housing units of North American Aerospace Command, the Air Force Space Command, and the U.S. Space Command | 22 | |
| 7216631106 | Identify statements that appear to act as a thesis: specific enough to identify the author's intent but broad enough to include development of a whole book on the subject. | 1) This is a book about fast food, the values it embodies, and the world it has made 2) Colorado Springs chosen as focal pt for book bc the changes that have recently swept through the city serve as a symbol of those that fast food have encouraged throughout the U.S. 3) The impact of McDonald's on the way we live today is hard to overstate. The Golden Arches are now more widely recognized that the Christian Cross; 4) "Armageddon", Stating that future archeologists may find important clues about our nation by looking to our fast food wrappers and the food that we eat | 23 | |
| 7216631107 | What similarities of character, background, etc. do the "Founding Fathers" have? | 1) Started out poor, very hardworking 2) Started by "door to door salesmen, short-order cooks, orphans, and dropouts, by eternal optimists looking for a piece of the next big thing". | 24 | |
| 7216631108 | Explain how cars and highways influenced the growth of the fast food industry. | 1) allowed more restaurants to be built in both rural and urban communities 2) drive thru created which made getting food quicker and easier 3) People who didn't want to get out of their cars could now sit in them and eat (drive-ins/thrus) 4) highways spurred car and truck sales, and ignited the purchases of suburban homes | 25 | |
| 7216631109 | Explain the concept of "synergy" and give examples. | Synergy: a state in which two or more things work together in a fruitful way that produces an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects ex. 1: Snow White toys, book, clothes, snacks and records were already for sale when the film opened ex. 2: television broadcast "One Hour in Wonderland"(1950) culminated in a promotion for the upcoming Disney Film "Alice in Wonderland" ex. 3: McDonald's began to sell its hamburgers and french fries at Disney's theme parks (Disney and Kroc come full circle) | 26 | |
| 7216631110 | How has the fast food industry worked its way into our schools? What do you think of this trend? | 1) District 11 in Colorado Springs: first public school district in U.S. to place ads for Burger King in its hallways and on school buses 2) Dr. Pepper ads appeared on school rooftops 3) today, fast food places market their products in public school through ad campaigns, classroom teaching materials, and lunchroom franchises -This trend doesn't surprise me...children are extremely easy to convince. The school district saw a great opportunity to earn money and took it. | 27 | |
| 7216631111 | How does the fast food industry keep its workers from unionizing? | 1) by showing tremendous interest in the emotional and financial well-being of the workers there 2) "flying squad" sent to restaurant if any union activity is suspected 3) informal "rap sessions" held with disgruntled employees, where they are encouraged to share their feelings and info about the union's plan and the names of union sympathizers 4) lie detectors, rap sessions, and high priced attorneys are most effective | 28 | |
| 7216631112 | What problems and risks come from young people who work in the fast food industry (hint—not just crime)? | 1) kids can drop out of school at the age of sixteen 2) kids who work a lot likely to cut classes, drop out of school, develop substance abuse problems, etc. 3) if job is boring, this can cause lifelong aversion to work 4) high injury rates occur among teens working in fast food | 29 | |
| 7216631113 | What are some of the risks and benefits of opening and operating a franchise? | -It is helpful for the franchisor, because they doesn't have to spend their own funds to extend the reach of the company. -The franchisee wants to start his own business without going into it alone and risking everything on a new idea. ----However, the franchisor has to give up some control and the franchisee has to accept that he is under the company's rules. | 30 | |
| 7216631114 | Explain the problem and irony of the federal small business loans for franchises (SBA). | -the food industry has used the SBA to finance new restaurants, and as a result of this, they have turned a federal agency that was created to help independent small businesses into one that eliminates them | 31 | |
| 7216631115 | How have big-business farms ("agribusiness") influenced potato farming in the United States? | 1) Idaho potato farmers face enormous pressure to either get bigger, or get out of the business 2) over the past 25 years, Idaho has lost about half of its potato farmers, but the amount of land devoted to potatoes has increased 3) family farms are giving way to corporate farms, and as a result, the farms who've been driven off the land are often hired to manage them | 32 | |
| 7216631116 | What are the problems facing independent cattle ranchers today? | 1) rising land prices 2) stagnant beef prices 3) oversupplies of cattle 4) increased shipments of live cattle from Canada and Mexico 5) development pressures 6) inheritance taxes 7) health scares about beef | 33 | |
| 7216631117 | Explain the impact/import of the Chicken McNugget. | 1) turned a bird that once had to be carved at a table into something that could easily be eaten behind the car wheel 2) encouraged a system of production that has turned many chicken farmers into little more than serfs 3) helped change the American diet and its system for raining and processing poultry | 34 | |
| 7216631118 | Why are recent immigrants good for the meatpacking industry? | 1) There is an extremely high turnover rate because of these workers. 2) the workers accept what we consider low wages, because theses wages would be extremely high in their home countriesr 3) they are reluctant to join unions. | 35 | |
| 7216631119 | What is the value of a high turnover rate? | helps maintain a workforce that is harder to unionize and much easier to control | 36 | |
| 7216631120 | Why does the meatpacking industry have such a high rate of turnover? | because of low pay and the poor working conditions ----->workers quit one meatpacking job and float from town to town in the High Plains, looking for something better | 37 | |
| 7216631121 | What are some of the techniques the meatpacking companies use to avoid dealing with injured workers? How has the federal government helped? | 1) workers are under tremendous pressure not to report injuries bc annual bonuses of plant foremen/supervisors are based in part on the injury rate of their workers ----->these bonus schemes encourage slaughterhouse managers to make sure that accidents and injuries go unreported -Federal govt greatly reduced the enforcement of health and safety laws | 38 | |
| 7216631122 | How does meat become contaminated? | 1) rise of huge feedlots, slaughterhouses, and hamburger grinders seems to have provided the means for E. Coli to become widely dispersed in the nation's food supply | 39 | |
| 7216631123 | How and why has the meatpacking industry avoided dealing with the issue? | How: U.S. Govt cannot order a meatpacking company to remove contaminated, potentially lethal ground beef from fast food kitchens and supermarket shelves Why: the companies know that if the public found out about this through mass media, their image would suffer | 40 | |
| 7216631124 | Define the "archetypal symbols" listed at the top of page 226 and explain what is symbolized by each item of the list. Define Irony. How might one find Schlosser's list ironic? | the smokestack: industrialism -the smokestacks refers to the heaps of smoke released above Germany's factories in WWI...refers to the factories and assembly lines the swastika: fascism -the swastika strikes a well known connotation between Germany and Nazi Germany's reign the hammer and sickle: communism -refers to time period after WWII when Russia controlled Eastern Germany and adopted communist principles golden arches: consumerism -refers to McDonald's and a time period of a society concerned about buying material items Irony: the use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of its literal meaning List is ironic bc it is meant to be a list of all terrible things and dark parts of history. Although McDonald's is not considered as a dark part of history to most, the author equates the symbol of the golden arches as one that is horrible and intimidating. | 41 | |
| 7216631125 | Define "libel" and explain what big mistake McDonald's made in suing Steele and Morris. What does Morris see as the main problem w/companies like McDonald's? | Libel: a false statement that is damaging to one's reputation -McDonald's mistake allowed Steel and Morris to put McDonald's on trial and force a public examination of the chain's labor, as well as marketing, environmental, nutrition, food safety, and animal welfare policies -main problem with McDonald's= arrogant behavior: the rise of powerful multinationals that shift capital across borders with few qualms, that feel no allegiance to any nation, no loyalty to any group of farmers, workers, or consumers | 42 | |
| 7216631126 | Give one example of a business that does not follow the usual pattern of exploitation and poor quality. | In-N-Out Burger -has Bible verses on the bottom of their cups -have not heightened or lowered prices -have no heat lamps or microwaves -have no freezers in the kitchens -have fresh ground, never frozen beef -peel their potatoes every day to make fries -make their shakes from ice cream instead of syrup | 43 | |
| 7216631127 | How can we change things? | -Congress should eliminate the tax breaks that reward chains for churning through their workers and keeping job skills to a minimum -pass new laws to facilitate union organizing -food served in school cafeteria should be safer than what is sold at fast food restaurants -USDA should insist upon the highest possible food safety standards -stop the purchase of ground beef -Congress should ban advertising that preys upon children, should stop subsidizing dead-end jobs, should pass tougher food safety laws, and should protect American workers from serious harm -We need to work to improve sanitary conditions in slaughterhouses, as well as the working conditions and food safety standards in the nation's meatpacking plants -stop buying the fast food, and protest for the right foods | 44 | |
| 7216631128 | Why is mad cow disease a "powerful symbol of all that is wrong about the industrialization of farm animals," as Schlosser says on page 272. | -demonstrates how America cattle, meatpacking, processing, manufacturing etc. will fight anything that disrupts their supply -shows how fast food companies will ignore scientific evidence until it finally harms or kills people (customers) | 45 |
