Food Service
1. What will your sources of data be?
· Manual for becoming an employee
· Personal experience
· Observations
· Internet articles
· Newspaper articles
2. What methods might be beneficial for you?
· Interviews of employees, supervisors and non-employees
· Survey of employees and non-employees
3. What behaviors, patterns, rituals, rules, etc. do you expect to find in your cultural site? Can you think of any surprises or difficulties you might face?
· Rules: appearance, clocking in and out, sanitation procedures, etc.
· Rituals: cleaning up at the right time, making sure everything is clean
· Behaviors: strict
· Surprises or difficulties: not being able to get in contact with a supervisor
Box #1
Group Ritual Location Behaviors
AIA meet @ 8:00 Student Center Pray, worship
CRU meet @ 9:15 Pruis Hall Pray, worship, bible
Buffet Lafollette Cook, clean, prepare
Soccer meet @ 9:00 Field Sports Run, play soccer
Rules Insider Terms
Bring a bible Gospel, God
None Gospel, God
Appearance/cleanliness Pasta Bar, Server
No throw ends, behind the goal is out Turn, square, cross
Box #11
Because of the cold weather outside my friends and I have started to go to the buffet. I have never been a big fan of the buffet, but ever since I started working there I grew more of a liking to the food. I chose the food service industry because there are many misconceptions about the buffet regarding cleanliness, old food, etc. that I want to clear up. I honestly don’t think my age, race or gender will have any affect on what I see because those working in the buffet are all different ages, race and gender. The only thing that might affect what I see is because of the fact I work there and that I just started working, so its going to take me awhile to get in the hang of things.
Box #25
Insider Terms
· Big Red: warmer inside the buffet where hot food is kept
· Walk-in: refrigerator where all cold foods are kept
· The Line: where the servers serve the food
· Pasta/Salad Bar: where salad ingredients and spaghetti pasta are kept
· Veggie Room: where food preparation workers prepare the food
· 135: the temperature to which the pasta and cooked vegetables must be above
· Runner: someone who is in charge of bringing out more food when it runs out
· Football: a special area of the buffet where only the football team eats
March 17: In-Class Writing
1. Why will my readers care about this issue?
· My audience is mainly towards college students who are experiencing the food on campus. They will care because many stereotypes are developed from the personal experiences that they have had while eating on campus. Also, some of the students are employees and they know first hand what campus food is all about.
2. What will my readers want or need to know about this issue? (Beliefs, rituals, rules explain)
· They will need to know how things are run, the different types of jobs, what goes on behind the scenes.
3. What do my readers already know about this issue?
· They are familiar with certain rules and behaviors that the employees must follow.
4. What do I want my readers to learn about this issue?
· I want them to learn about what the employees do and that it is not as dirty as they think.
5. If I am trying to persuade my readers of something, how easily will they be persuaded?
· I will try to persuade them why campus dining is the way it is in terms of how it is run, types of food, etc.
6. What will my readers use my writing for?
· To clear up any stereotypes they may have of campus food. But also to use my research for any projects that they might have regarding this issue.
Groundwork Activity (page 219-220)
1. First impressions that I had:
· On a certain day of the week each employee has the same task to do, same routine over and over again. Same time, same food, same everything. Questions: Is the buffet sanitary? Are they healthy? Is the food old? Do the employees enjoy working there? What are some things that the buffet needs to improve on?
2. How do you feel in the new space?
· I at first felt uncomfortable. I was thrown into a culture where everyone knew where everything was and what was going on and I had no idea about anything. The first night I worked there the employees just assumed I knew how to do everything. And they assumed I would do everything right and it took me a few times to actually get everything right. And I found after the first week of working I was became one of them. And when a new employee would come to work they were put in that same position. Every time I tried to get ahead and do things perfectly I ended up forgetting about something else. Nothing seemed good enough. Now I have high expectations.
3. How are you an outsider?
· What makes me an outsider is me being a student and the fact that most of the students there have been working for a whole semester now, so they know everyone’s name and background. I don’t. Also because I am a student I don’t have access to the things the manager and assistant manager go through and do on daily basis. I don’t know what that process is like.
