Summary Of Mcdonaldization Of Society

In the article “McDonaldization of Society” the author, George Ritzer, discusses Rationalization which is a concept which was coined by the German sociologist Max Webber in the 19th century. Rationalization has 5 distinct dimensions which are efficiency, control, dehumanization, quantity over quality, and predictability.

Moreover, Ritzer claims that society has become so focused on being efficient which means finding the easiest and fastest way to achieve a goal, an example of that dimension provided by the author is the nazi concentration camps which were built to exterminate Jewish people. Also, Ritzer claims that another characteristic of society nowadays is predictability. People in a rational system tend to frown on surprise and have a preference for routine and consistency.
In Addition, control of uncertain aspects of life and control over individuals is an aspect of the rational system.
Nowadays people are able to pick the gender of their children because of the major improvements in the field of genetic engineering. Another argument the author makes is that a rational system values quantity over quality. This dimension can be seen in universities when it comes to the cumulative gpa or the polls students are given to rate their professors. The final dimension of the rational system is dehumanization, humans are constantly being replace by machines because of the fact that they are not predictable.

Furthermore, I believe that Ritzers argument that the world is becoming Mcdonaldized is correct. It is evident in many ways that his argument is correct, for instance, the company Toyota focuses on the quantity of cars it produces which makes them more money unlike the company Rolls Royce which produces less cars. Another example that proves Ritzers argument is correct is that nowadays ordering products online is more convenient than going to the store because the products take less time to arrive and people have different options for
payment.

One of the most controversial topics is that the world is becoming more homogenized and that leads to cultures disappearing due to Mcdonaldization. Moreover, because we live in the era of globalization I believe that homogenization is happening but at a slow place. An example of this aspect is Emiratis adopting parts of Western Culture such as the clothes, television programs, and music. Moreover, because we live in a Globalized world different places are a able to absorb the different aspects of rationalization which will lead to a more homogenized culture because everyone will have the same rational and efficient principles. One of the biggest and most influential countries which is America has become homogenized, if one travels from state to state the same shops, hotels, restaurants can be found so it is only a matter of time for when the rest of the world will like them.