Imagine yourself behind the counter or in the drive- through window at McDonalds. You are programmed how to act and what to say. You have been working there for three years and earn a salary of $5.50 an hour. You have never exceeded 29 hours while working there. These circumstances are true for over 40 percent of six million people employed in restaurants today. The reason for these circumstances are due to the change in our society by which the consumer wants the biggest, fastest, and best product they can get for their money. This change in society can be attributed to a process known as McDonaldization. Although McDonaldization can be applied to many other parts of our society, this paper will focus on its impacts on the inequalities in the workplace, along with some theoretical discussions on the topic.
The process of McDonaldization, where the ideology of McDonald's has come to dominate the world, has caused many restaurants to emulate McDonald's style of running a franchised restaurant chain in terms of efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control. First, before I discuss the impact of Mcdonaldization on restaurants, I will define what McDonaldization is. McDonaldization is the process by which the principles of fast-food restaurants are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society, as well as, of the rest of the world. George Ritzer created this concept of McDonaldization as a continuation of Max Weber's theories on bureaucracies (Ritzer...
The United States has had forty-three presidents serve this great nation, and each president has helped shape this country in different ways. Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States of America, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, a Founding Father, and a member of the Jeffersonian Republican party. He was born in Virginia and served along other great men like George Washington. His two terms were full of both great achievements and terrible actions. The real question is whether or not Jefferson’s presidency bettered the nation in a positive way.
Critically analyse Ritzer's theory of ‘McDonaldization' and the associated term ‘McJobs'. To what extent do you agree with Ritzer's argument that a ‘McDonaldization of Society' is occurring in modern times, said to be characterized by the increasing rationalisation of work organisation? Illustrate arguments with practical real-world examples.
Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson were Americas first presidents and are easily considered to be among the most recognized and influential. They contributed much needed leadership, functionality, and a voice for the citizens. Yet, one president stands out to be the strongest of them all, and that was Thomas Jefferson. There is no doubt that without Jefferson, our country would not have been able to develop as effieciently as it did. For his ideas put into the Declaration of Independance, expansion of America, and his many other contributions for the people like education.
Thomas Jefferson was a man that would change his country and the way we live forever. He has led this country through some of its the hardest points in history. He exhibited aspects of intelligence, diligence, and most importantly, leadership, in every area of his life. He lived a life full of education, politics, and adventure. To better understand Thomas Jefferson, a person should examine his life story, his beliefs, and his leadership qualities.
President Jefferson wrote a bill that establishing religious freedom. He was an influential person in the United States. Jefferson was a lawyer, agronomist, musician, scientist, philosopher, author, architect, inventor, and a statesman this shows that he was an intelligent person with a lot of professions. Jefferson was studying at the college of William and Mary politics. He was a drawn to the legal profession. This helps him establish as a lawyer in Williamsburg, which led to his election to the House of Burgesses. His successes in the House of Burgesses help him to get the Second domination Continental Congress at Philadelphia. As well President George Washington chose him as the first Secretary of the State. Latter Thomas Jefferson gradually assumed leadership...
As a human race I could not with a good conscious say that we have all done that is possible to preserve our planet. I believe it partially should be blamed on our lack of knowledge on how we are actually affecting it. If you ask the common college student results prove that most would say they care to a certain extent. However, they also know that they are just one person in this world. Therefore, I believe this would be an excellent article for The Shorthorn. Geologist might say that it is too late to turn back from what has already been done. Simply buying a Prius or turning off the air conditioning won’t save our Earth. The fact of the matter is that “this civilization is already dead.” Now the key
Thomas Jefferson grew up very wealthy with a good education. He became third president of the United States, he wrote the Declaration of Independence, and he accomplished many other things. He is mainly known for the things he did to get independence from Britain. Thomas Jefferson was a very smart man who became very famous from his many achievements.
A world without the Big Mac, Happy Meals, Chicken McNuggets, and the phrase “I’m lovin’ it,” is almost inconceivable. People around the globe have become accustomed to the high gleaming golden arches that make up the famous emblem for McDonald’s. McDonald’s has grasped the concept that culture flows from power. In this case, the American culture flows through the veins of this fast-food giant and the more that is supplied, the greater the demand. It is no secret that McDonald’s has become one of the world’s largest fast-food retailers. It has become a well known icon that has played a huge part in globalization, with chains located in many different countries… transforming the meaning of fast-food all around the world.
The McDonaldization of Society The McDonaldization of society may sound somewhat misleading but the term actually refers to the rationalization of society. The use of the word "McDonaldization" just simply indicates that the fast food restaurant is one of many great examples of rationality. Ritzer discusses five dimensions that characterize rationality or a rationalized society: efficiency, predictability, calculability, the use and preference of non-human technology, and the control over uncertainty. The five characteristics can be noticed in various aspects of society which exemplifies the extent that rationality affects our society and societies worldwide. In this paper I will summarize Ritzer's discussion of these five characteristics and give possible examples of each dimension.
After reading “McDonaldization of Society” I began to question the way our world works. George Ritzer and Max Weber are very intellectual and think way outside the box, and by coming up with these theories they have made it easier to identify the problems with our society. Should food be as easy to access via drive-throughs? This book remained unbiased throughout the whole read and provided facts about every-day living. Ritzer provided a commentary on the aspects of society that humans often do not think about questioning, such as the way food can be put out within two minutes in order to maintain customer satisfaction. This is not an opinion, but rather, it is fact. Businesses that follow the idea of McDonaldization are only destroying the aspects of life that make life liveable. I would recommend this book to anybody that is trying to expand their knowledge about living and how to get the most out of their lives. I would encourage everyone to put an end to the McDonaldization of civil society by going to the grocery store and spending an extra penny in order to prepare hardier, healthier meals that are made of ingredients other than highly processed foods. Afterall, living is more enjoyable when one is energetic and fit rather than stuffed and feeling lazy because they ordered a factory-packaged, frozen, then quickly grilled Big Mac off a
Cheating is a past time made present into adulthood by today’s students. As you may remember in your youthful days in middle school. Some of us may have attempted once or twice to cheat to get ourselves ahead in class. There were those who wrote the answers on their sneakers, or wore a calculator watch. However, today’s cheating is much more complicated. These are adults who obviously don’t trust themselves to complete their own assignments and prefer to pay a dignitary to complete their work for them, with technology and advancements, students have advanced their
Have you ever wondered how the business empire of McDonalds was started? With over ninety nine billion served, it was started in 1940 in San Bernardino, California. It was started off as just a Bar-B-Q that served just twenty items. Its first mascot was named “Speedee” They eventually realized that by setting up their kitchen like an assembly line that they could be much more productive and get their food done faster, with every employee doing a specified job; the restaurants production rate became much higher. A milkshake machine vendor came into their small restaurant one day, his name was Ray Kroc. He saw how much potential the restaurant has, so he bought it out and opened one of the first franchises. Within the first year of Ray Kroc buying it, there were one hundred and two locations all around the world. McDonalds currently is one of the largest fast food restaurants in the world and currently has served over sixty four million customers through one of their thirty two thousand sites. It has almost become a way of life for America. Though, McDonalds started off as a small business between two brothers, it grew into one of the largest restaurant franchises in the world and greatly affects our society and how we eat our food.
It is essentially a fulfillment of our desires and goals either superficial or sublime. Happiness is bound not only to emotional but physical, intellectual and aesthetic pleasures of life. It is the root cause of every decision an individual takes. There is no set philosophical definition of happiness yet according to Aristotle, happiness is the one thing you can choose for itself and that everything else is chosen for the sake of happiness.
McDonaldization is replacing illogical rules with logical ones, or some call it the process of rationalization. To describe this sociological circumstance in our society, George Ritzer gave this word its meaning (Burleson). One of the most popular examples of McDonaldization is fast food, when sit down meals turned into grabbing and going. There are four steps to McDonaldization that make everything work how it does; Efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control (Macionis 139). Although these four aspects of McDonaldization might positively affect the company, there are numerous negative consequences on society that most do not realize.
When society thinks about the local McDonald’s, they probably do not think “innovation’. That is because everyone has become accustomed to the many novelties that McDonald’s has introduced over the years. Some people do not even know that McDonalds was the leader in innovation being the first major international fast food restaurant, with the first drive-through window. What many people do not realize is that McDonald’s continues to drive innovation in fast food. Some times the innovation is well advertised, but other times they are designed so that customers will never even notice (Ritzer, 2004).