Design and Society Spring 2005

1. Design and SocietySpring 2005 Fast Food Nation and Predatory Capitalism Carol Hasenberg

2. Fast Food Industry – the Players Agriculture/Food Processing Employees Fast Food Employees Farmers Unions Franchisees Suppliers American Cities School Systems Fast Food Chains Congress Television Industry Conventional Restaurants Advertising Industry American Children American Adult Consumers Other Industries Global Consumers

3. Fast Food Industry – Employee Issues Low Wages, No Benefits, Little Respect or Creative Challenges High Crime Rate High Turnover Rate Fast Food Employees Little or No Training Big Employee Training Tax Credit Given for Little to No Training High Percentage of Failed Businesses Unions are Routinely Bought Off or Discouraged Franchisees Unions Highly Restrictive Agreements with Franchisees Anti-union congresses Fast Food Chains Congress Congressional Members are Dependent on Big Business Contributions

4. Fast Food Industry – Consumer Issues Sprawl, Waste, Homogenization, Disconnect with the Natural World Does Little to Protect School Children from Fast Food and Advertising American Cities Fast Food Chains Consumers can have a Strong Impact on the Behavior of these Industries with their Buying Habits Congress Television Industry “Kids” shows/ Networks feature Ads for Fast Food Products School Systems Advertising Industry American Adult Consumers American Children Several Countries have Banned Advertisements to Children Health: Obesity, Nutrition, Disease Perniciously Manipulated by Advertisers Perennially underfunded/ top heavy school systems look to advertisers for money Importation of Whole Fast Food System into Susceptible Countries Several Countries have Actively Discouraged Fast Food Corporations Global Consumers

5. Fast Food Industry – Supplier Issues High Drug and Crime Rates amongst Employees Abyssmal Working Conditions, predation on Illegal Immigrants Agriculture/Food Processing Employees Poor Quality Control in the Meat Product – Disease and Toxicity Farmers Buy from the Cheapest Suppliers Suppliers Running Family Farmers out of Business in Favor of Easily Controlled Share-cropper style Farming Failure to Address Immigration Issues, Loss of Family Farms, Meat Inspection Fast Food Chains Congress Major Portions of the Food Service Industry and Food Supply Industry are Run by a Few Corporations Conventional Restaurants Difficult Success Environment – Still, some Fast Food and Conventional Restaurants actually act More Responsibly and Enjoy Success – In-n-Out Burger Other Industries Success of the Fast Food Industry sets a Bad Example for other Industries