Evaluation Exercise

 

Read the handout by George Ritzer and complete the following exercises. You may work in groups of three (3). Each person must contribute to the conversation, and each member is responsible for completing the exercises. Remember to use your text RCWW Chapter 6 – Evaluation (pp. 298-374).

 

Presenting the subject

  1. Underline the factual details in the article.
  2. Where does the writer seem to get his information – from firsthand observation, from conversation with others, or from published research?
  3. List details in the article that you accept as valid
  4. List details that you feel are inaccurate or only partially true
  5. Do you have any knowledge about McDonaldization that is missing from the article?
  6. Who is Ritzer’s audience? Give examples from the reading to support your answer. Evaluate Ritzer’s presentation of the subject in terms of accuracy and completeness.

 

Asserting an Overall Judgment

  1. Write a few sentences considering Ritzer’s overall judgments, do you find his statements clear?
  2. Write a few sentences describing and evaluating Ritzer’s assertion of his overall judgment.

 

Giving Reasons and Support

  1. Underline Ritzer’s reasons for his judgment and consider the appropriateness of his reasons. Do you think Ritzer’s readers would accept each reason as appropriate for evaluating McDonaldization? What objections might a critical reader have to Ritzer’s reasoning?
  2. Look for reasoning and support and evaluate how well Ritzer supports his argument. Are his arguments convincing? Which is most/least convincing?
  3. Write several sentences supporting what you have learned about how Ritzer uses reason and support as an evaluative writing strategy. Use examples from the reading.

 

Anticipating Objections and Alternative Judgments

1.      Underline where Ritzer brings up either a reader’s likely objection or an alternative judgment about McDonaldization.

2.      Does Ritzer refute or accommodate the objection or alternative judgment?

3.      Write several sentences identifying the objections and alternative judgments against which Ritzer counter-argues. Describe his counterarguments and evaluate how persuasive they are likely to be with his intended audience.