Questions

1. What is the problem or conflict in the scholarly literature that my project is addressing?
The scholarly literature addresses the issues of working in the fast food industry including inadequate wages, tyrannical managers, and physical and emotional exhaustion. The literature addresses the consequences of the low wage life of fast food workers and goes into great detail about the deception and unjust activities that are often present behind the counter. Throughout my reserach for this project I gathered testimonials and reflections from various fast food workers and corporations. I also gathered statistics about the hourly wage of a fast food worker and about the abuses reported within the fast food industry which I included throughout my project.

2. What is the original contribution that my website is making to that specific problem or conflict?
My website includes accurate testimonials from teenagers working in the fast food industry. Through the testimonies and statistics I gathered I discovered that for most, working in the fast food industry has more cons than pros and can lead to various forms of abuse and unfavorable circumstances. I also provide some solutions to the low wages experienced by teenagers in the fast food industry and caution parents and teens from allowing their children to become part of the fast food frenzy.

3. What are the conceptual tools that I am bringing to the analysis from the assigned course reading?

I used Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation" for a good portion of my research because it focuses on the fast food industry and the lived experiences of those working behind the counter. I also incorporated Schlosser's idea of the replaceability of low wage workers and included the less-than-adequate training and skills required for fast food workers. However, I also used Shipler's idea of the invisibility of the working poor and the American myth to account for the reasons why teenagers are willing to succumb to the often abusive tendencies of the fast food industry.

4. Which two or three prior student websites provided with the most guidance?

While I found all of the websites helpful to my website in some way, I gained the most guidance from the student website focusing on the low wage life of strippers. From this website I learned that simplicity is key when making websites and found her review of the literature very helpful in writing my own. I also found the website on migrant farm workers helpful for its annotated bibliography, simple yet powerful images, and concise review of the literature.