McDonaldization of Society

The McDonaldization Thesis presupposes some familiarity with sociologist George Ritzer's earlier work, The McDonaldization of Society (1993), in which he defines McDonaldization 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". These principles include efficiency, predictability, calculability (or an emphasis on quantification), and control (especially via non-human technologies). All of these combined constitute the formal rationality or basis that makes up McDonaldization. In his works, Ritzer continues to alarm many by depicting McDonaldization as "a largely one-way process in which a series of American innovations are being aggressively exported to much of the rest of the world".

The author introduces the concept of the "new means of consumption" to illustrate the ways in which not only business, but cultural practices are threatened by McDonaldization. Defined as "those things owned by capitalists and rendered by them as necessary to customers in order for them to consume", some of which these examples of consumption include fast-food restaurants, credit cards, mega-malls, and home shopping television networks. The critical point for the author is that each changes the ways individuals consume. For example, the exportation of fast-food restaurants and American eating habits, with their emphasis on food as something to be consumed as quickly, efficiently, and inexpensively as possible, alters the way people eat and, therefore, "poses a profound threat to the entire cultural complex of many societies". This change in society plays a huge role globally in that other cultures follow after these bad habits and unf...

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...on, although Starbuck's is praised for the high quality of its coffee. Instead, if it is applied to settings outside the US without considering how different groups experience McDonaldization or what it means to them, assuming it has any meaning at all. Its suitability is seemingly justified by the growing number of fast-food restaurants and Disneyland-like amusements world-wide. McDonaldization is thought to be highly influential, amusing, and yet disturbing to society.

Works Cited

"The McDonaldization Thesis: Explorations and Extensions. George Ritzer. London: SAGE Publications, 1998." indiana.edu 20 Feb 2014

"Mcdonaldization" StudyMode.com. 04 2005. 2005. 04 2005 .

"McDonaldization." 123HelpMe.com. 20 Feb 2014