The Mcdonaldization of Society

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Introduction to Sociology

The McDonaldization of Society

George Ritzer, in his book The McDonaldization of Society, has given a good understanding of the kind of world we live in. He describes the concept of McDonaldization, which is the process in which the principles that form the basis of McDonalds are greatly influencing the rest of society. McDonalds runs its business on the following key elements: efficiency, calculability, predictability and control by non-human technologies. A fifth element, which Ritzer perceives as a disadvantage of McDonaldization, is the irrationality of rationality. This is the idea that a society which is based entirely on rationality is not a normal human society because humans are not …show more content…

The human mind was created to solve problems and make inventions, but not to find a substitute for itself. Also, I believe that life should be kept as simple as possible. Though some might say that certain machines and computers simplify our life by making particular tasks easier, I think they actually complicate our lives even more. Especially when they begin to rule our everyday activities and we become too dependent on them. We forget how to carry out those tasks ourselves. Lastly, I think that the aim of each of these elements is to make life easier for people. But, in my opinion, this easy life only leads to a more materialistic life. McDonaldization seems to stress on individualism, a kind which leads to isolation and loneliness. In my experience, American society is one of the loneliest because of this emphasis on individualism. In certain other developing countries, where there are less McDonaldized institutions, one will notice that there is a greater stress on family relationships and values, which fosters strong bonds between people. But the few McDonaldized institutions that are present, are appreciated a great deal. Therefore, I don’t think that McDonaldized institutions are all harmful; I simply believe that there can be too much of a good thing. I was born in the midst of this McDonaldizing world. Thus, I have had many personal experiences with McDonaldization. My experience with taking multiple choice exams has

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