Discussion – Decline of the Family Dinner
In the book “The McDonaldization of Society: Into the Digital Age,” George Ritzer highlighted the culpability of the fast-food industry, particularly McDonaldization, in the erosion of the traditional family meal, which has been attributed to the erosion of the American family (Ritzer, 2021). Through targeting efficiency, predictability, and speed, fast food undermines community and collective eating practices and minimizes the significance of group gatherings for shared meals. In “McDonaldization: The Reader,” Ritzer analyzes how the rationalization of societies has eroded family relationships and substituted them with the logic of convenience (Ritzer, 2010).
Contemporary Perspectives on the American Family
Recent findings affirm Ritzer’s analysis of recent scholarly works on consumer culture. Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood notes that working mothers turn to convenience food due to time constraints (Grose, 2022). This change is part of a cumulative cultural shift toward consuming food more individually and eating alone. Likewise, The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Inequalities and the Life Course also shows how economic factors compel families, especially those of lower income, to consume processed and cheap meals, reducing family time together (Nico & Pollock, 2022). Both sources support Ritzer’s assertion that conventional food processes portray profound structural and cultural shifts regarding families.
Conclusions About The Impact Of Fast Cooking On Contemporary Families
There is a tendency to endorse fast cooking methods and food products as society becomes incredibly busy and fast-paced, but this efficiency adversely affects family interactions. Family dinnertime has been traditionally known to create social interaction, with an emphasis on sharing values and ideas. As more people eat alone or take away, this erodes shared experiences, especially in a society where most parents are working or single. While these changes reflect broader societal transformations, including gender roles and work culture, the widespread adoption of fast-food habits does risk deepening the disconnect within modern families. Thus, I concur with Ritzer that while fast food might not be the sole cause, it is undeniably a player in the fragmentation of the contemporary family dynamic.
References
Grose, J. (2022). Screaming on the inside: The unsustainability of American motherhood (p. 240). Mariner Books.
Nico, M., & Pollock, G. (Eds.). (2022). The Routledge handbook of contemporary inequalities and the life course. Routledge.
Ritzer, G. (2021). The McDonaldization of society into the digital age (10th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Ritzer, G. (Ed.). (2010). McDonaldization: the reader. Pine Forge Press.
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Question 
Discussion – Decline of the Family Dinner
Ritzer largely blames the fast-food industry and other food processes, such as the microwave oven, for the decline of the family dinner, and by extension, suggests it is responsible for what is commonly called the breakdown of the family. Use the online resources available through the Cannon Memorial Library to research ebooks on the contemporary American family. Do these sources agree with Ritzer’s analysis? How so? Make sure to c
Discussion – Decline of the Family Dinner
ite them in a standard citation format (ASA, APA, MLA) in your post. Then, share your own conclusions about the impact of fast cooking on contemporary families.