The topic of teenagers having jobs while in high school can be considered controversial and is definitely one that generates a lot of opinion both for and against this practice. Mr. Amitai Etzioni’s has a negative position on this issue as was stated in his article “Working at McDonald’s”. I on the other hand believe that having a job is a way for teenagers to learn how to be independent and obtain good working skills that will stay with them for a lifetime. This essay is an argument pro teenagers working while in high school. The concerns of the opposition will be addressed as well. The first point of Etzioni’s opinion that I disagree with is that he believes that the skills teens gain while working at McDonald’s and other fast food jobs …show more content…
Etzioni’s opinions I disagree with is that he believes that working harms minority and lower class teens. Etzioni states that such fast food type of jobs “provide no career ladders, few marketable skills, and undermine school attendance and involvement” (250). While it is true that some of those minority teen workers do focus on the jobs, they may not have another option if they want to help to put food on their tables at home. I personally, can understand the thoughts of teens in such a position. I know that if it was me as a teen and my option was to either go to school without working and participate in activities or possibly be homeless and hungry, I would choose to go to work every time. In fact looking at Etzioni’s overall paper, I do not believe that his views on work for teenagers would hold out during the current times. Etzioni was born in 1929 as can be seen in his introduction, and his views do not match up to the modern situation and circumstances of working …show more content…
And the generation that has felt most of the fallout were the Millenials- people who were born in 1980-1999. During the crisis of 2008 many millenials were not able to find employment even with a college degree and as a result went deep into debt. The current generation of children will be born to the Millenial generation of parents- the teenagers that have experienced this financial crisis first hand. I believe that having known and experienced what it is like to be financially unstable Millenials will encourage their own children to work as teens, particularly if the issue of student debt will not be resolved in the