McDonaldization Essay

rt54ty54 McDonaldization is the term that was inspired by Max Weber's theory of bureaucratization. This theory is a process that makes life efficient by the use of technology through rational decision making. George Ritzer American sociologist, professor at the University of Maryland and author of "The McDonaldization of Society" was influenced by the McDonalds fast food system and compared McDonaldization to society. McDonaldization is made up of five concepts which are efficiency that saves time and makes life easy. Calculability is the thought that more is better no matter how the quality is, predictability is the determination of the end result, control and irrationality of rationality. This process makes things convenient and faster it also eliminates surprises and lets us know what would be the next step in life. While there are some benefits of technology the McDonaldization of individuals is dehumanizing and could lead to a bigger disconnect between the "haves" and the "have-nots" in education, healthcare and the criminal justice system.

Surprisingly, McDonald's fast food restaurant is not the only institute that is McDonaldized, there is the education system, healthcare, criminal justice system. Kyhall provides several examples of how our education system has been McDonaldized. For example, instructors only focus on the main ideas. Our grades lets the counselors know what college we may apply to. Teachers also predict and control by making sure students are concluding if students will graduate, and will control students by making sure all requirements are met. The fourth element is control. People are being controlled by replacing humans with human-like technology. An example of this is the bridge tolls. Before there was a fast-Track Pass where you pass through a sensor as it deducts money out of your account; there was a teller that you would pay your fee to just to cross the bridge. Another example for control is GPS Systems because before this type of technology was offered to the public one used to have to use paper maps to get to where they were going. Also, drive-thru services at pharmacies was developed for the convenience of citizens. Therefore, the healthcare industry have become McDonaldized by getting a patient's prescription in and out quickly, and prescriptions can be called-in and filled over the phone through an automated system. Depending upon one's own healthcare insurance,

...