Summary: The McDonaldization of Society

Essay summary:
In this essay, the author argues that our society is undergoing the process of rationalization as is exemplified by the McDonaldization. There are five main characteristics of rationalization: 1. Efficiency: a great deal of emphasis is put on finding the best or optimum means to give any given end. 2. Predictability: it involves the effort to ensure predictability by emphasizing on discipline, order, systemization, formalization, routine, consistency, and methodical operation. 3. Calculability or quantity rather than quality: since quality is much more difficult to evaluate, the society emphasize more on quantifiable measures; calculability is the most defining characteristic of a rational society. 4. Substitution of nonhuman technology: people are now placing human labor with human robots, and so we can expect the human robots will be further replaced by mechanical robots in the future. 5. Control: at the most general level, rational systems are set up to allow for greater control over the uncertainties of life. The McDonaldization is a typical example of rationalization, since with McDonaldization, “speed, convenience, and standardization have replaced the flair of design and creation in cooking, the comfort relationships in serving and the variety available in choice” (Ritzer 2010 pp.406). In the end, the author also mentions that progressive rationalization has created a number of problems, the various irrationalities of rationality. He finally says that “what is needed is not a less rational society, but greater control over the process of rationalization involving, among other things, efforts to ameliorate its irrational consequences.
Personal responses:
The author argues that one “irrationality of rationality” is that people in the rationalization process tend to omit the joy of live. However, I do not agree with it. In my family, both my parents are busy working, and we almost always eat out. However, we feel such lifestyle brings us more joy: busy working makes us feel enriched, and eating out conforms that we are doing relatively well economically. Thus, to me, the joy of life could come from the rationalized life style, and I feel bored and less satisfied when holidays like the spring festival come and we have to stay and cook at home. (I cannot remember exactly, but there is a psychological team “flow” which describes the state of lost in the work but finding great joy at the same time. I think this applies to my family when we are busy working.)
Discussion questions:
Following my personal response, I feel that many people like my parents are currently “lost” in the rationalization process, but they are happy about their life style. I wonder if rationalization (e.g. busy working and eating out) is the joy of life for these people. In other words, if people find more joy eating out, which is interpreted as being wealthy by themselves, than cooking at home, then why do we assume the joy of cooking would be better for them? How can we assert that “rationalization tends to … [leave] much of our lives without any mystery or excitement” (pp. 413) if we find the rationalized society brings us more joy?