http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2003/mutari1.gif

http://webpages.scu.edu/ftp/dcavaliere/clothing.html

Here are some articles about teen jobs :)

The importance of getting education
http://www.child.net/articles/school-and-education/

Pros and Cons of Teen Jobs
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CDgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Flife.familyeducation.com%2Fteen%2Fjobs-and-chores%2F36446.html&ei=ZQk9T5TaM5P-iQLAwuS4AQ&usg=AFQjCNEq2MDcbA7DcqBFQzI20dn_BjzHVA&sig2=KtQ3a5oloiB47POS2i1SYA

Importance of Education Over Teen Employment

Andrew Po-Chih Hu

Professor Slobod

English 113B

9 February 2012

Importance of Education Over Teen Employment

        Although life as we defined is all about learning, but we can divide it into three major stages, which are being educated, being employed, and retired to enjoy life. Even the three states are related, but the stage of getting an education and the stage of being employed has a greater connection. People’s career can be influence by their education and their experience during learning. The transition from just learning to working with your knowledge is an important milestone that could happen in an early age, when teens receive their education while being part-time employed. This seems to be really common and good as a step forward to being self-independent and financially independent. Ideally, teen job should be an activity, practice, and learning process that teens can gain from, look forward to, and benefit their future. Nowadays, under the circumstance of highly developed technology, instant media transportation, and world economic crisis, teen jobs are more detrimental than beneficial to teenagers.

        There are many reasons that cause teenagers to get a part-time job while they are studying, and some of the most commonly seen reasons are “parents… showing their kids the value of a hard earned dollar,” wishing them to have some working experience before heading out to the real world, wanting them to be more independent financially and taking more responsibility for their own actions (Hall 102). Whether the willingness of teenagers getting a part-time job is high or low, it should not influence their performance in school and grades. Sometimes teens might be caught up in the idea of working can get them money is better than studying, so they dedicate more time and effort into working then they done plain or even fail their school works because their lack of study. But as students, it is their responsibility to devote most of their time and energy to studying and actually learning knowledge that will be useful in their later lives. Although in short term the studying might not seems like a high return on investment, but in long term it will definitely pay off as they achieve a career instead of a job.

        It seems like a part-time job can help teenagers to gain experience and get prepare for the real world, but most part-time teen jobs are either working in a fast food restaurant, coffee shop, or the register of a store. These jobs “are usually a low-paying and tedious waste of time” that teens can use these time wisely and be able to learn some knowledge through studying (Hall 102). These jobs not only waste their time, they are also “highly uneducational in several ways, [which] most teen jobs these days are highly structured-what social scientists call ‘highly routinized’”(Etzioni 316). Because everything is prescribed, so “there is no room for initiative, creativity, or even elementary rearrangements. These are breeding grounds for robots working for yesterday’s assembly lines, not tomorrow’s high-tech posts”(Etzioni 316). Instead of helping youngsters to develop their individual unique mind and be able to be part of the century that is all about creativity, these jobs eliminate potential. Not only they do not move forward as the world is, they fall behind and might never be able to catch up because they missed what is truly important, which is getting their education.

        In Amitai Etzioni’s “Working At McDonald’s” he makes a strong case when he tells us that pursuing a higher and better quality education helps teenagers to be specialized and become professionals in different categories, and later on they can be engaged in a career; compared to teen jobs that “provide income, work and even some training… [but] they provide no career ladders, few marketable skills, and undermine school attendance and involvement”(Etzioni 317). And because these jobs interfere with their school work, it decrease the opportunities they can pursue a career with the knowledge they could have gain in school, they are stuck in the chain of low-paying jobs due to their lack of knowledge and low-skill performance, even if they want to dedicate themselves into a career in the future, it will be much more harder. As the speed of technology develops, it is important to know more about it to be capable integrate with this high-tech world. However, since teens use their time to work, they decrease the chance to learn and work with computers, high technology devices and programs. Not being able to keep up with technology can become a great flaw for them to adapt careers that has to do with tech. In fact that most workplace is now in favor of people whose with more knowledge and skills of high technology.

        In a world full of instant media transportation, communicate through Internet with computers, tablets, and cellphones is becoming a huge part of social life. And what gets friends to be connected is through communications, but due to their jobs, they soon find “it difficult to keep up extracurricular activities and friendships, which they might find out later on that they have few or no friend they could open up with (More 4 Kids). A good social relationship with people not only will it be health to a person’s life, it might also be helpful in many different ways, like helping out a dear friend in emergency. No one wants to look back to their life in school and can only remember doing schoolwork, working part-time, and being all alone. And regret about how he or she does not have some wonderful memories about school life with friends.

Also there are teens who work to get some extra allowance, and those who have to work to financially support themselves because their family could not entirely support them. Even some of these reasons are origin from virtuous thought like lowering the financial pressure for the family, but because of their jobs, teens are keep away from home, they reduce or sacrifice the time they can spend with their family and love ones. They also “sleep and exercise less,” and soon they might have to face some problems with health. This starts with a good intention but turn into a situation that both parents and child are not happy about, which children starts to have lack of communications with their parents, parents are worry about their children’s health, and as time goes on their family connection and love might just fade away (More 4 Kids).

Nevertheless, the entire world is in an enormous economic crisis, companies are cutting down their employment and “job source for those lacking a higher education or even a high school degree, is not the force in the economy it once was” (Time Magazine). Those jobs that would be consider as teen jobs, which people with less professional knowledge and skills can apply to are reducing the amount of employment, and they could not dedicate themselves to a professional career because their lack of competitiveness. Then they will have to face the consequence of being unemployed. If teens or parents are concern about that teens might be lack of real world experience, teens can actually do volunteer works, work field programs that cooperate with schools, or study aboard to broaden their horizon. There are always a lot more other options to choose from than to sacrifice a person’s education for a not so beneficial part-time teen job.

Now we think of it, we know the importance of getting an good education, so students should fully dedicate their time and energy to their education, and take advantage of being a student learning professional knowledge and skills helps with their future. After all, you cannot have another teenage years to spend to get a good quality education and make wonderful friends. They should not occupy their time for study with part-time jobs and lose the chance of being successful in their later life. There are more detrimental than beneficial for teenagers to get a job, so go back to school.

Works Cited

Etzioni, Amitai. "Working At McDonald's." Writing With A Thesis. 11th ed. Boston: Lyn Uhl, 2011. 315-19. Print.

Gandel, Stephen. "Teen Unemployment: Young Workers Struggling in Recession - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. Time Magazine U.S., 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 07 Feb. 2012. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1952331,00.html>.

Hall, Ashley. "Student Essay: Broke And Bored: The Summer Job." Writing With A Thesis. 11th ed. Boston: Lyn Uhl, 2011. 102-03. Print.

Schifferdecker, Stacey. "The Pros and Cons of Teen Jobs." Parenting at More4kids: Raising Children in a Complex World. More 4 Kids, 2008. Web. 07 Feb. 2012. <http://www.more4kids.info/626/pros-and-cons-of-teen-jobs/>.

Teen Unemployment

Citation: "Black Americans Face Higher Joblessness - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.8 Oct. 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCAMlAfk4So>.

Allowance: Good Idea, or a Mistake?





Citation 1: "How Much Allowance Should You Give Kids? - Early Show - CBS News Video."Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. <http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6807286n>.


Citation 2: "How to Give Your Child an Allowance - Video - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 18 Oct. 2007. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAohUmgPSLI>.

Sioneh Melkonian

Professor Slobod

English 113B

09 February 2012

The Pitfalls of Money

            Ever since I was a child, I have been taught that things in life are either white or black, and not everything is always as it may seem. I have carried this knowledge with me throughout the years of my youth to help me make better decisions. If one does not examine the negative aspects of a certain decision, they may be blinded by the positive characteristics, and later pay the consequences of their judgments. This brings me to my argument of whether or not a high school student should hold a job during their time of being educated in the fall or spring. It is not in the best interest of a high school student to have a job because of limited regulations on their spending’s, the time consumption of carrying a job and going to school, and the lack of skills developed from part time jobs. Making your own money is an empowering feeling, but there is a time for everything and high school may not be that time to experience that certain feeling.

Adolescence is an unpredictable time in one’s life; therefore, having a job would make it difficult to regulate what a teenager is spending their pay check on . While some parents might find this decision to be wise since it would build character for their children and teach them responsibility, they do not consider the consequences. For instance, when a teenager is making their own income, parents don’t have as much say in what they spend it on because it is difficult to regulate their paycheck. On the other hand, when a parent distributes money, they have the choice of deciding how much money their child should spend. With the extra money that the kids now have, the parents do not know what their children are spending it on. It may be a possibility that it can lead to spending on drugs or alcohol. According to the 2000 National Household Survey On Drug Abuse, “approximately 13 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 reported past month use of cigarettes” and “approximately 16 percent of youths had used alcohol within the past month.” (“Illicit..) Parents who give their kids money have more control on what they spend it on. When a child says that they will be at work from four o’clock to eight o’clock, and then other activities after, a parent cannot know for sure whether or not this is a true statement. As far as the parent knows, they are making four hours’ worth of money, but in reality, the child may be working until nine or ten o’clock. Hence, the child can spend money without their parents’ consent. On the other hand, teenagers with jobs have the freedom to spend their money on aspects such as drugs, alcohol, etc. If teenage jobs were restricted, the number would decrease because the teenagers wouldn’t have the money to buy it. If these children did not have the excessive money to spend, they would have no choice but to spend it only on necessities.

Another fall out of having extra money is not knowing how to spend it. These adolescents may turn to unnecessary spending’s like on very expensive items such as designer jeans, handbags, sunglasses, etc. that only people who make a fairly high amount of money can afford, compared to teenagers in high school. Some people may argue that parents can regulate their teenagers’ spending by keeping their “Earning Statements”; however, since parents have so much going on in their own lives, it is highly likely for them to forget about asking for it. Another possibility would be the child throwing it away. When the subject of money comes up, things may become complicated.

Education is a very important part of a person’s life, especially the first twelve years because there is so much to learn and do, that it is very time consuming and would be difficult to juggle with other responsibilities. Schooling is the only job that a young person should prioritize. If a teenager in high school were to get a job, this would take away time that should be spent on schoolwork. When a teenager gets a job, eventually, they become less attentive with their school work since they are so busy with their job. This is natural because one’s brain and attention focuses on completing specific work tasks rather than concentrating on school. Amitai Etzioni states in his essay that, “jobs may seem right out of the Founding Fathers’ education manual for how to bring up self-reliant, work-ethic-driven, productive youngsters” but “these jobs undermine school attendance and involvement” (Etzioni 316). I agree with the author because of all the time consumption holding a job has on the effects of the schoolwork that needs to be done. Not only does this have a bad effect on the work ethics of student, but eventually, money will become the main motivation. The student will stop caring about the schoolwork because the paycheck they will be receiving will be much more satisfying compared to the grades they have been receiving. Slowly, work becomes a higher priority than school. Furthermore, if a student is focused on a job, it takes away an opportunity for them to participate in extra- curricular activities, such as, sports, and clubs. Extra-curricular activities are more beneficial than a high school job because being part of a high school sport stands out on a college admission application.

Alongside missing time for extra-curricular activities, the business of the work schedules will result in missing deadlines, projects, homework, etc. Teenagers with jobs would have to work no more than an average of four hours per shift according to a California law. This takes away a total of four hours that can be spent on schoolwork, and highly increases the chance to do homework. Moreover, with such a time consuming job, there is barely any time left for some healthy socializing with friends. A teenage mind is not as advanced as an adult’s mind because an adult is used to working long periods of time and not socializing with friends; however, a teenager would become depressed if they do not hang out with their friends, or socialize with their friends for long periods of time. According to Teenage Depression, twenty percent of teens will experience depression before they reach adulthood (“Teenage..). By having a time consuming job and not being able to see their friends, teenagers are at a higher risk of being depressed. Some may argue that having a job is not time consuming due to the limited hours they work on weekdays; however, weekend shifts have a six hour limit. This takes time away to catch up on sleep and homework on the weekends especially since they are likely to be behind in their class work due to working on the weekdays.

With everything in life, we start at the bottom of the food chain and must work ourselves up to the top. It is not always an easy road to travel upon, but everyone must start somewhere. Without a high school diploma, one will not get a rewarding career. The jobs that you are able to get during high school without a diploma are jobs that do not require you to know much. These jobs include working in the restaurant business doing works such as bussing tables, flipping burgers, taking orders, etc. The skills that you learn by having part time jobs during high school are useless for your future. This is because the teenagers are young and in that case not qualified so the only jobs they are able to get won’t contribute to their future career. John Warren states “critics have suggested that employment, as it occurs now (in fast-food restaurants, grocery stores, retail stores, and so forth), does not educate or properly prepare students for adult occupational roles” (Warren 5). The author explains how these jobs do not help build skills for the future occupations of people. Etizioni also states that working at a McDonald’s is a place for “breeding grounds for robots working for yesterday’s assembly lines, not tomorrow’s high-tech posts” (316). A part time job at McDonald’s does not teach life skills that can be used in one’s future, and it also does not take much to be hired for any position. Since you’re told exactly what to do, you’re not developing any skills at all. People may argue that having a job in high school will teach responsibility; however, a teenager earning money by allowance is a better alternative to teach teens to be more responsible. Denise Witmer discusses this concept in her article stating how to make children work for an allowance. This is an effective way to give kids money with regulating their whereabouts and the amount of money they are making.

While there may be some positive outcomes about a high school student getting a job, unfortunately the negative side effects outweigh the positive. It will be difficult to regulate the child’s spending. There is an age where kids just suddenly want to grow up and gain independence; however, they are not old enough to understand the consequences of their decisions. Growing up, I found it difficult to ask my parents for money when I wanted to go out with my friends. This was because I felt like it damaged my self-esteem having to rely on others for money. Moreover, it may be quite time consuming, and part time jobs lack teaching lifelong skills; a big price to pay for such a small reward. When children start to grow up, the transition from childhood to adulthood is a rather challenging one to complete.

Works Cited

Etzioni, Amitai. "Working at McDonald's." Writing with a Thesis. 11th ed. Boston: Lyn Uhl,

2011. 316. Print.

"Illicit Drug Use Among Youths Who Use Cigarettes and Alcohol." Adolescent Substance

Abuse Knowledge Base. 2007. Web. 4 Feb. 2012.

"Teenage Depression Statistics." Teen Depression: Statistics, Prevention, Facts on Teenage

Depression. Web. 4 Feb. 2012.

Warren, John Robert, Paul C. LePore, and Robert D. Mare. "Employment During High School:

Consequences for Students’ Grades in Academic Courses." University of Washington,

Feb. 2000. Web. 2 Feb. 2012.

Witmer, Denise. "How To Give an Allowance That Includes Financial Responsibility."

About.com Guide. Web.

"Working Teens". Online Posting. You Tube, 25 June 2009. Web. 14 February 2012.

"Teens Workers Rights: Real Jobs, Real Risks (2005)". Online Posting. You Tube, 9 May 2011. Web. 14 February 2012.

Dead End Jobs!

http://www.epi.org/publication/bp258/      This website talks about the employment rates for teens by, race, age, and the the population. This photo specifically shows how the unemployment rate for blacks and hispanics is rising.

Teen Jobs for College Students

Amber Greenwood
Prof. Slobod
English 113B
7 February 2012

With the way the economy is, it is now anything new to see college students working or looking for work. Recent statics show that 70–80 percent of students work while they are enrolled. Students are constantly looking for a place to work nowadays because there are so many things that they need to pay for, especially the college students. There are numerous reasons that students work: extra money, help bring in family income and pay for school. Students today feel the necessary need for a job due to fact they are now living in the real world and dealing with different matters everyday. The most important thing a student needs in today’s society is MONEY! Most people feel that undergraduates who work are taking away from time when they need to be studying and concentrate on their classes.

Teen jobs can be a distraction to school but they can also be a resourceful way to help college students out. The usefulness of these jobs outweighs their distractions because they help students gain access to money when they need it, learn time management, and how to become more independent. “First generation students, students of color, and students from low-income backgrounds have become a mainstay in the growing mix in college today” (Tuttle).  In today’s society there is an abundance of young adults who wish to go to college, but they may not have the financial support.

Even though there is financial aid available for all students who qualify, financial aid just might not be enough to cover all expenses; then for those students who wish to go to college and don’t qualify for financial, they still need money to pay for tuition. For these students those teen jobs help them pay for school and other expenses. “As noted, upper-income students are just as likely to work as their lower-income peers. However, the primary reasons that those students work offer for working vary by dependency status and income (Tuttle).”

In Ashley Hall’s “Student Essay: Broke and bored: The Summer,” (102) she describes summer jobs as tedious and useless. For a lot of college students, summer jobs become more useful because all that money that they were working for builds up, they are then able to pay for anything school related i.e. books, meal plan, housing, and tuition. For instance, students who don’t qualify for financial aid may have to get a job to earn extra money for their tuition and books. For students that don’t have money to pay for school and books they still need transportation to and from school, so they would have to get a job to save up for a car so they will have a way to get to their classes on time. These jobs that Hall describes may not help high school students but I’m pretty sure that they helped plenty of college students.

However, college students who do find it necessary to work during the course of the semester, are not aware how extremely difficult it would be. Working while in school will not only bring distractions but it will limit class schedule, limit choice of classes, limit the number of units he/she would like to take, and limit their access to facilities. “The majority of students who work do not think that having a job imposes limitations, but a sizable minority does indicate that their jobs limit some aspects of their college experience” (King). Statics have shown that there is a vast majority of college students who drop out because of a part-time job that they had during their college year. I have seen family members drop-out of college because they had too many distractions because of their teen job. Those students who do drop-out rarely make an effort to go back to school and finish out their education. The reason those students drop-out is because they have too much on their plate and aren’t able to manage their time correctly.

In Addition, Amitai Etzioni’s “Working at McDonald’s” (315), Etzioni feels that McDonald’s is a job bad for young adults “I refer to the jobs teenagers undertake, mass producing these choice items.” She believes that jobs are nothing but a mere extension from a lemonade stand. Some of the jobs in the fast-food chain may not be the best working environments because they don’t really give you anything to learn from. “At first, such jobs may seem right out of the Founding Fathers’ education manual for how to bring up self-reliant, work-ethic-driven, productive youngster. But in fact, these jobs undermine school attendance and involvement, impart few skills that will be useful in later life” (316). These jobs can bring down the involvement in students because the student would be so busy going to work that he/she won’t be able to participate in anything activities or clubs affiliated with the school. These jobs that Etzioni that students work bring down the his/her(s) attendance in class because the student will start missing school because they had to work or they are just too tired from work to go to school.

“About one-quarter of full-time students work full time” (King). Students who work full-time while in school full-time are pushing their selves too hard because their trying to over due things. Sooner or later these students will not be able to take it because its tremendously difficult to go to school full-time and work full-time, in this case that means that they are probably working everyday and missing classes to make sure they will go to work. In which these students probably have no time to sit down and study for their classes which will put them behind and eventually they will end up failing their classes. It is better to work part-time while in school full-time because they are able to still have time for their studies.

Furthermore, due to the fact that these jobs can be a distraction for students, students must learn responsibility and time management. Every college student knows that when they start college have to become responsible for their work and they must learn time management and how to joggle all of their classes and other activities. When adding a job to a college student’s list to their load they have to take on even more responsibility because they have to make sure that they keep that job. Undergraduate students who work learn alot of responsibility during their semesters because they not only have to stay on top of their work at school and make sure they don’t slack but they also have to stay on top of their work as well. These students learn how to manage their time and organize their selves so they wouldn’t end up failing a class or getting fired from work. Most people think this a hard to task, but to those students who do it everyday they believe that it is easy if you stay focused and don’t play around.

Moreover, in college, students’ learn how to be more independent and more responsible. Student’s must learn that they are no longer little kids but now young adults getting ready for the real world and he lessons they must learn. When working while in college student’s then have to be more aware of their circumstances because not only do they have a job that they have to attend to but they also have classes to attend to as well. Student’s who work tends to become more organized with their schedules. Those student’s mature more as they learn how to manage all of these different aspects of their college experience and how to joggle all of these things that they are dealing with. Since these students’ joggle all of these different things they prioritize and make sure that they have a day or two to make sure that all their work is done because they refuse to fall off.

Nevertheless, the student has the choice to see their teen-job as a distraction. The students who do see it as a distraction apparently do not know how to manage their time and are not as responsible as their counterparts. It is simple to be able to manage how your time is spent on work and on school, all students’ have to do is prioritize and organize their new college lives to adjust to their conditions. College student’s capable of not only working and going to their classes but to be involved in their school.

There is an abundance of students who work because of numerous reasons while in college. “In 2009, about 41 percent of full-time and 76 percent of part-time college students ages 16–24 were employed” (Unknown). These percentages show that these students are able to work and go to school. Lastly, teen jobs have many different negative aspects to them, for college students they seem to be more positive then negative. Since college students have so many financial obligations, it is beneficial for them to get a job. The jobs that college students choose to work help them pay for the things they need so that those students can be successful in their college career. In the end, it is up to student to see if working will bring them distraction.

Works Citied

"The Condition of Education - Contexts of Postsecondary Education - Finance - College Student Employment - Indicator 45 (2011)." National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education. Web. 08 Feb. 2012. <http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_csw.asp>.

King, Jacqueline E. "WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH COLLEGE: STUDENT EMPLOYMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE." ACE | Home. May 2006. Web. 07 Feb. 2012. <http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm>

Skwire, Sarah E., and David Skwire. "Student Essay: Broke and Bored: The Summer. “Writing with a Thesis. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 2011. Print.

Skwire, Sarah E., and David Skwire. "Working at McDonalds’." Writing with a Thesis. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 2011. Print.           

Tuttle, Tina. "College Students Working: The Choice Nexus." Http://www.indiana.edu. Apr. 2005. Web. <http://www.indiana.edu/~ipas1/workingstudentbrief.pdf>.

Socioeconomic Status and Teenage Jobs

Jasmine Hunn

Professor Slobod

English 113B

9 February 2012

Socioeconomic Status and Teenage Jobs

            For many teenagers jobs are looked forward too. The money and the freedom from being treated like a child are exhilarating. However, there is one problem that stops some from having a job, and that is their socioeconomic status and gender/ethnicity. Under privileged teenagers are less likely to acquire a job compared to teenagers that are more fortunate. The differences in socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity are seen by the employment and unemployment rates. Many of the lower-class teenagers are working at minimum wage restaurants or stores such as fast-food restaurants that teach no life-long skills that can be used for the future while others cannot get work at all. In the article “Black Teens Jobless 6 Times National Rate”, says “[There is] well over a quarter of a million (278,000) African American teenagers who are actively seeking employment but are having hard times getting their foot in the door.” The upper class teens have higher probabilities of becoming employed compared to lower class, because they have been giving the proper education and have lived in a stable environment that has shown them what they need to attain to have a job. Many under privileged teens have less access to employment opportunities or are confined to working at low-wage jobs that have no benefits for the future, compared to their counterparts who are educated and have connections to jobs benefiting them.

For low class families’ jobs are not easy to get. One of the reasons why teens have trouble getting jobs is because under privileged teens are not accustomed to the same material as upper class teens. According to the article “Are Teens in Low-Income and Welfare Families Working to Much,” “teens in low-income families and families on welfare have the less access to employment opportunities.” Although teens from these families try to find work it can be difficult at times because they do not have the same educational background as their peers that are in a higher socioeconomic class. In 2010 “Poverty rates for blacks and Hispanics greatly exceed the national average, 27.4 percent of blacks and 26.6 percent of Hispanics were poor, compared to 9.9 percent of non-Hispanic whites and 12.1 percent of Asians,” states the National Poverty Center. For many of the people living in poverty the conditions are harsh and they do not have much, nor can they afford to get the right material in order to sustain a healthy life style. Additionally, “youth from welfare families with no working adults generally lack connections to jobs and employed parental role models” (Lerman). Without somebody to show these teens where to go and what to do, they become stuck and are forced to be jobless without any legal way of providing for their families. Even though some teens have trouble getting jobs, the teens that do excel end up working in fast-food restaurants or jobs that provide no initial knowledge to potential employment positions in the future.

Because many of the under privileged teens work for low-skilled jobs, they do not accurately gain experience that could help them in a better job. In Amitai Etzioni’s article “Working at McDonald’s,” he states, “[these careers] provide no career ladders, few marketable skills, and undermine school attendance and involvement.” Many minorities are left to work at these jobs because they cannot get any other types of jobs. By them working at low-skilled jobs that do not benefit them, they end up working at the same job for years still not developing skills that could help them have a better future. Etzioni also claims that “there is no room for initiative, creativity, or even elementary rearrangements,” which many skilled jobs require that people have (316). Creativity and initiative are key when getting a job because most companies want staff that are different and can provide a variety skills and thoughts to their businesses. But with the lack of educational resources one will not be able to provide the type of intelligence that companies want. In some under privileged teens cases they may not have a parent that has a job. Which in turn may affect how they will get jobs, they have lost the connections to be able to sustain a job. While lower- class teens have to struggle to get jobs or have low-skilled jobs, some teens are able get jobs faster.

It is fair to say that many under-privileged teens work for low-skilled jobs, but what about the teens that are fortunate enough to have the right education and connections? In Ashley Hall’s essay, she talks about how she goes through different summer jobs, and ends up coming to the conclusion that there is no point in having one. Though she found out that summer jobs are tedious, she was able to get employed to multiple jobs easily. She states “…I’ve had many summer jobs,” but if that were someone who was less privileged than her it might not have been that simple (102). Teens that have parents that are employed are more prone to getting employed themselves because they have the background knowledge, and resources that can help them be successful. However lower-class teenagers try and get jobs that are low paying or have no life skills, for example McDonalds, Taco Bell or even some clothing stores. Etzioni writes in his story that “some say that while these jobs are rather unsuited for college-bound, white, middle-class youngsters, they are “ideal” for low-class, “non-academic,” minority youngsters” (317). These types of jobs that are unsuited for white, middle-class, and college-bound teens because many of these teens have been properly educated to know what good jobs are out there and how they should go about pursuing them. Socioeconomic status has a lot to do with the working environment, and which people get which jobs. There jobs may not be that great but they are still getting paid.

Some critics say many “minorities are “over-represented” in these jobs (21 percent of fast-food employees). While it is true that these places provided income, work and even some training to such youngsters, they also tend to perpetuate their disadvantaged status” (317). As society may know many minorities do work in many of the fast restaurants, but in the end they are still receiving an income. The income they receive may not be much but it is enough to support them in some way.  Others may say that because underprivileged teens have more drive to try and get a job, that they have a better chance succeeded then the rest. However, there is always going to be that status that these careers are suited for the less privileged. Without the proper knowledge or help minorities are always going to be trapped in working in these jobs.

Under-privileged teens are less capable to getting well-paid jobs and are sometimes left working at low-wage and unskillful companies compared to other well-off teens.  Many of the unskilled jobs are held by less fortunate teens who are trying to survive. These teens are all most always uneducated, and do not have the right resources to be able to get a well paying job. Additionally, they are left to work at these restaurants for years because they have not learned anything that can help them get employed anywhere else. They do receive an income however; they could be getting a greater income if they could get a proficient job. Nevertheless, being a minority and working in such a job is part of societies norm and will take time and effort to help these teens to be on the right path.

Works Cited

“Black Teens Jobless 6 Times the National Rate.” New Pittsburgh Courier, 2006: B5. ProQuest. Web. 31 Jan. 2012.

Etzioni, Amitai. “Working at McDonalds.” Writing with a Thesis: A Rhetoric and Reader. Ed. Sarah E. Skwire and David Skwire. Lyn Uhl. 315-319. Print.

Hall, Ashley. “Student Essay: Broke and Bored: The Summer Job.” Writing with a Thesis: A Rhetoric and Reader. Ed. Sarah E. Skwire and David Skwire. Lyn Uhl. 315-319. Print.

Lerman, Robert. “Are Teens in Low-Income and Welfare Families Working Too Much?” The Urban Institute/Research of Records. Urban Institute, 1 Nov. 2000. Web. 31 Jan. 2012.

“Poverty in the United States.” National Poverty Center. Web. 31. Jan. 2012.