Mcdonaldization Of Society Essay Research Paper McDonaldization

Mcdonaldization Of Society Essay, Research Paper

McDonaldization of Society

In today’s’ complicated and ever changing society, we often try to achieve a sense

of stability and familiarity around us. One way our culture has tried to make life a little

easier is by implementing a function now know as “McDonaldization”. McDonaldization

is defined as “the process by which the principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to

dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world.” (1)

The success of McDonalds, and of McDonaldization as a whole, is due to four basic

factors–efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control.

One of the first functions of McDonaldization is efficiency. Efficiency means

choosing the optimum means to an given end. In our society, people like to have things

go as quickly and as smoothly as possible, but they do not want to find out the fastest way

themselves. Instead, people like to have a system that has already been used and that they

know works. Efficiency has its advantages for both consumers, who get what they want

quickly and with little effort, and for workers, who can perform their tasks in a simple

manner. The fast food industry is very streamlined, because hamburgers are the simplest

food there is to make. Other foods also do not need a lot of ingredients, and they are

simple to make and to eat. Most of the food is also prepared so one can eat it with their

hands, thereby reducing the need for utensils. In the process of McDonaldization,

consumers are forced to do a good deal of work as well. They have to stand on line,

carry their own food, and throw out the garbage. This is not as efficient for the

consumer, but it saves time for the workers. Education, health care, and the work place

are all becoming McDonaldalized in order to become more efficient. Efficiency in

McDonaldization has streamlined many processes, simplified goods and services, and

forces the consumer to do work as well.

Another factor of McDonaldization is calculability. This tends to put more of an

emphasis on quantity rather than quality, but it allows the consumer to get a lot of food

quickly. When things are easily counted, it facilitates the process by making it more

predictable by using the same amount of materials. Part of McDonalds is an emphasis on

size. Everything is “super sized,” or have names that make food items seem larger than

they actually are. Calculability, however, also leads to the quality of the food being

neglected. Because people feel as if they are getting a lot of food for their money, they

are not as worried about how good it tastes. Food is always weighed and measured

precisely, which is another part of calculability. All burgers weigh the same amount, there

are the same number of fries in each container, and the new drink machines dispense the

same amount to each cup. This same theory is seen in our education system. Students

are herded through, and no one really pays much attention to what or how they are

learning, just that they receive high grades so they can get into a good college. Health

care has also seen the impact of these, because now patients are mainly treated just to

squeeze some money out of them, and doctors seemingly don’t truly care about their

patients anymore. Calculability basically reduces the quality of goods, but improves the

quantity of them.

The third function of McDonaldization is predictability. In our society, people

usually want to know exactly what to expect from a given situation. Predictability gives

the consumer a break from having to make difficult decisions, and the worker can perform

their task with little effort. The needs of everyone become easily anticipated. One of the

first places predictability became common was with motel chains. Before motels became

franchised, guests didn’t know exactly what they would be getting, for the good or the

bad. But then hotels such as Holiday Inn and Howard Johnson’s started, and guests knew

exactly what they were going to get when they stayed there. This new practice was

copied in the food industry, namely by McDonalds. First, they started with a large and

noticeable sign, that could be easily recognized. People from around the world now know

the McDonalds symbol is a giant yellow “M”. Something else that is predictable is the

way employees are forced to interact with customers. Employees have a set script that

they must follow, and this gives them some control over their customers. Their work is

also done in the same manner, for example, the hamburgers all must be cooked the exact

same way for the same amount of time. They also must dress and act in a certain way.

Customers themselves behave predictably in fast food restaurants, as they get their food,

carry it to their table, eat, clean their trash, and leave. Now everyone knows this is the

way one must act in a fast food rest

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