Mcdonaldization Of Society
In today's' complicated and ever changing society, we often try to achieve a sense
of stability and familiarity around us. One way our culture has tried to make life a little
easier is by implementing a function now know as "McDonaldization". McDonaldization
is defined 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." (1)
The success of McDonalds, and of McDonaldization as a whole, is due to four basic
factors--efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control.
One of the first functions of McDonaldization is efficiency. Efficiency means
choosing the optimum ...
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the simplest
food there is to make. Other foods also do not need a lot of ingredients, and they are
simple to make and to eat. Most of the food is also prepared so one can eat it with their
hands, thereby reducing the need for utensils. In the process of McDonaldization,
consumers are forced to do a good deal of work as well. They have to stand on line,
carry their own food, and throw out the garbage. This is not as efficient for the
consumer, but it saves time for the workers. Education, health care, and the work place
are all becoming McDonaldalized in order to become more efficient. Efficiency in
McDonaldization has streamlined many processes, simplified goods and services, and
forces the consumer to do work as well.
Another factor of McDonaldization is calculability. This tends to put more of an
emphasis on quantity rather than quality, but it allows the consumer to get a lot of food
quickly. When things are easily counted, it facilitates the process by ...
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expect from a given situation. Predictability gives
the consumer a break from having to make difficult decisions, and the worker can perform
their task with little effort. The needs of everyone become easily anticipated. One of the
first places predictability became common was with motel chains. Before motels became
franchised, guests didn't know exactly what they would be getting, for the good or the
bad. But then hotels such as Holiday Inn and Howard Johnson's started, and guests knew
exactly what they were going to get when they stayed there. This new practice was
copied in the food industry, namely by McDonalds. First, they started with a large and
noticeable sign, that ...
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Mcdonaldization Of Society. (2008, January 19). Retrieved November 22, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Mcdonaldization-Of-Society/77718
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"Mcdonaldization Of Society." Essayworld.com. January 19, 2008. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Mcdonaldization-Of-Society/77718.
"Mcdonaldization Of Society." Essayworld.com. January 19, 2008. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Mcdonaldization-Of-Society/77718.
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