Mcdonaldization of the Society

Mcdonaldization of the Society

Question #1

            “Mcdonaldization of the society” is a book that was written by George Ritzer in 1993. The book has remained one of the best-selling books in the sociology of all season. In this book, the author explores the most imaginative and innovative sociological concept of Mcdonaldization as the theses of the last decade of the twentieth century. Ritzer describes Mcdonaldization process on the basis of rationalization (Ritzer n.p). This means the act of shifting from traditional and emotional modes of thoughts, with some scientific management processes of efficiency. In this case, Ritzer views fast food restaurant as becoming a restaurant that is more representative and has a contemporary paradigm in modern society.

Moreover, Ritzer emphasizes that a community, which is characterized by rationality is the one that involves some components such as efficiency, predictability, calculability and control. Efficiency refers to the optimum method of accomplishing a specific task. In Mcdonaldization, efficiency is used in elaborating that every organizational aspect is often geared towards time minimization. From a customer’s viewpoint, an efficiency is an act of attaining the fastest way of moving from hunger to satisfaction.

Nonetheless, calculability is used in describing the fast-food chains quantifiable objectives. Mcdonaldization further develops a notion, which states that quantity is equal to quality. This means a large product amount being delivered to a customer within a short time is considered to be the same as the high-quality product. Calculability helps in quantifying people by the earned amount versus the amount paid. In this case, workers are not judged by work quality, but by the speed of accomplishing a particular task.

Additionally, predictability is a concept of predicting that all customers are receiving the same product and services whenever they have an interaction with the McDonaldized organization. In this case, the workers’ tasks in those organizations are considered to be highly routine, repetitive and predictable.

Nevertheless, the control component involves the act of employees becoming standardized and are further replaced by non-human technologies. In this scenario, Ritzer claims that the consumer patterns of food chains are unified, and westernization culture occurs when McDonald enters a country.

Question #2

I concur with Ritzer about the world becoming McDonaldized. This is because modern people’s culture has continued to value efficiency, predictability, and quantity aspects of rationality. Both workers and consumers are often more controlled by technology. Also, many people always prefer to consume some fast food as the quickest way of being satisfied and minimizing hunger. Besides, western culture has currently been focused on transferring knowledge across the world. This is because there is an ever-increasing similarity between Western schools and classrooms and the rest of the world. Also, McUniversities have diminished the product quality by featuring a modularized curriculum, which delivers degrees at a fast rate to satisfy all tastes. However, McDonaldization is viewed in the current world when some products are often advertised and repackaged in identical ways, thus minimizing the product quality of a specific organization. Also, McDonaldization is experienced in the modern world, when junk journalism is further defined as being inoffensive unimportant news have served in a palatable manner.

Question#3

            McDonaldization has led the world becoming homogenized and further caused culture differences disappearances. This is because McDonaldization is considered as a global phenomenon, which is often driven by economic powers, West cultural dominance, and western corporations. In this case, it further results in a worldwide economic and social life homogenization. McDonaldization has further caused the homogenization of some cultures. This is because of globalization in the world. Also, the dominance of fast-food principles in many organizations and institution has led to homogenization in the world. This is because common aspects are being experienced from one institution to another.

On the other hand, McDonaldization led to the disappearance of cultural differences by creating a phenomenon in a society, which further makes all institutions and organization to obtain similar characteristics that are often found in food chains. In this case, several institutions are affected, such as the education section. More Westernization cultures have been implemented in the school curriculums, which have participated in bringing a cultural difference in society. In this scenario, the local system of education has been globally shifted to Western education. This has acted as a root of altering some traditional culture, to a shared cultural aspect in the world. Besides, technology has been involved in changing culture. This is because nonhuman technology has been replaced to produce more product within a short time. Technology has replaced and minimized human interaction at the workplace or organization, thus causing culture differences.

Moreover, McDonaldization has led to some changes within science and economy, which has led to a shift in a society’s culture from Weber’s bureaucracy to a new social structure. However, McDonald has eliminated the skilled workforce and further replaces it with a routine workforce. This has resulted in a change difference since the worker’s bargaining power are replaced by the devalues labour of a specific work.

Work Cited

Ritzer, George. Mcdonaldization Of The Society. 1993, Accessed 4 Mar 2020.