The McDonalization of society
George Ritzer describes McDonalization as a wide range process of rationalization that is occurring in American society. McDonalization is the idea that we as human beings have to live a fast pace life using fast food, nonhuman technology using efficient appliances, efficiency and predictability. He uses this metaphor in order to help us visualized how fast food restaurants are the present-day examples of how rationalization develops. And how all these advantages are in place to distract us from seeing all the negative effects of living in this society and what is causing us. (Ritzer p.372) mentions that we are ultimately concerned with the irrational consequences that often flow from rational systems.
George Ritzer explained that McDonalization and rationalization go hand and hand because rationalization leads to McDonalization which is a fast pace society. The relationship between Ritzer and Weber is that in (p.6) the Spirit of Capitalism is best understood as part of the development of rationalism as a whole, and this is deduced from the fundamental position of rationalism on the basic problems of life. In Ritzer McDonalization its understood as part of bureaucracy and society although in contemporary America is no longer bureaucracy, rationalism developed into McDonalization. A society that focuses on doing things efficiently an on finding the best and fastest way of doing things. (Ritzer p.372) He mentions McDonalization brings efficiency in the work force but we need to be careful because it replaces humans with non-human technology (machines). Ritzer and Weber are speaking on changes to society. Ritzer talks about the changes and the effect living in a fast pace society is causing on people. How we are used to going too fast food restaurants and how technology is taking over our jobs. Another part of rationalization is the effort we make to guarantee predictability from all the places we go, and if predictability is not offer or we are uncertain about what is going to happen we prefer not to be involved. For example: how we go to McDonalds and how they have different stations where we can place our order without needing a person to help us. This is a good and a bad thing because it makes the process of ordering food faster and more efficient, it is also a bad thing because it replaces people jobs with machines. Weber on (p.7) was speaking more on how rationalism is a historical concept which covers a whole world of different directions just like McDonalization does and how was helping change capitalism.
