Understanding the Phenomenon of McDonaldization

Understanding the Phenomenon of McDonaldization McDonaldization is a concept developed by American sociologist George Ritzer which refers to the particular kind of rationalization of production, work, and consumption that rose to prominence in the late twentieth century. The basic idea is that these elements have been adapted based on the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant- efficiency, calculability, predictability and standardization, and control- and that this adaptation has ripple effects throughout all aspects of society. The McDonaldization of Society George Ritzer introduced the concept of McDonaldization with his 1993 book,  The McDonaldization of Society.  Since that time the concept has become central within the field of sociology and especially within the sociology of globalization. The sixth edition of the book, published in 2011, has been cited nearly 7,000 times. According to Ritzer, the McDonaldization of society is a phenomenon that occurs when society, its institutions, and its organizations are adapted to have the same characteristics that are found in fast-food chains. These include efficiency, calculability, predictability and standardization, and control. Ritzers theory of McDonaldization is an update on classical sociologist Max Webers theory of how scientific rationality produced bureaucracy, which became the central organizing force of modern societies through much of the twentieth century. According to Weber, the modern bureaucracy was defined by hierarchical roles, compartmentalized knowledge and roles, a perceived merit-based system of employment and advancement, and the legal-rationality authority of the rule of law. These characteristics could be observed (and still can be) throughout many aspects of societies around the world. According to Ritzer, changes within science, economy, and culture have shifted societies away from Webers bureaucracy to a new social structure and order that he calls McDonaldization. As he explains in his book of the same name, this new economic and social order is defined by four key aspects. Efficiency  entails a managerial focus on minimizing the time required to complete individual tasks as well as that required to complete the whole operation or process of production and distribution.Calculability  is a focus on quantifiable objectives (counting things) rather than subjective ones (evaluation of quality).Predictability and standardization  are found in repetitive and routinized production or service delivery processes and in the consistent output of products or experiences that are identical or close to it (predictability of the consumer experience).Finally, control within McDonaldization is wielded by the management to ensure that workers appear and act the same on a moment-to-moment and daily basis. It also refers to the use of robots and technology to reduce or replace human employees wherever possible. Ritzer asserts that these characteristics are not only observable in production, work, and in the consumer experience, but that their defining presence in these areas extends as ripple effects through all aspects of social life. McDonaldization affects our values, preferences, goals, and worldviews, our identities, and our social relationships. Further, sociologists recognize that McDonaldization is a global phenomenon, driven by Western corporations, the economic power and cultural dominance of the West, and as such it leads to a global homogenization of economic and social life. The Downside of McDonaldization After laying out how McDonaldization works in the book, Ritzer explains that this narrow focus on rationality actually produces irrationality. He observed, Most specifically, irrationality means that rational systems are unreasonable systems. By that, I mean that they deny the basic humanity, the human reason, of the people who work within or are served by them. Many have no doubt encountered what Ritzer describes here  when the human capacity for reason seems to be not at all present in transactions or experiences that are marred by rigid adherence to the rules and policies of an organization. Those that work under these conditions often experience them as dehumanizing as well. This is because McDonaldization does not require a skilled workforce. Focusing on the four key characteristics that produce McDonaldization has eliminated the need for skilled workers. Workers in these conditions engage in repetitive, routinized, highly focused and compartmentalized tasks that are quickly and cheaply taught, and thus easy to replace. This kind of work devalues labor and takes away workers bargaining power. Sociologists observe that this kind of work has reduced workers rights and wages in the US and around the world, which is exactly why workers at places like McDonalds and Walmart are leading the fight for a living wage in the U.S.  Meanwhile in China, workers who produced iPhones and iPads face similar conditions and struggles. The characteristics of McDonaldization have crept into the consumer experience too, with free consumer labor folded into the production process. Ever bus your own table at a restaurant or cafà ©? Dutifully follow the instructions to assemble Ikea furniture? Pick your own apples, pumpkins, or blueberries? Check yourself out at the grocery store? Then you have been socialized to complete the production or distribution process for free, thus aiding a company in achieving efficiency and control. Sociologists observe the characteristics of McDonaldization in other areas of life, like education and media too, with a clear shift from quality to quantifiable measures over time, standardization and efficiency playing significant roles in both, and control too. Look around, and you will be surprised to find that you will notice the impacts of McDonaldization throughout your life.

Reading Comprehension Worksheet 1

Reading Comprehension Worksheet 1 In order to get really good at reading comprehension (understanding vocabulary in context, making inferences, determining the authors purpose, etc.), you need to practice. Thats where a reading comprehension worksheet like this one comes in handy. If you need even more practice, check out more reading comprehension worksheets here. Directions: The passage below is followed by questions based on its content; answer the questions on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage. Printable PDFs: Escaping Adolescence Reading Comprehension Worksheet | Escaping Adolescence Reading Comprehension Worksheet Answer Key From Escaping the Endless Adolescence by Joseph Allen and Claudia Worrell Allen. Copyright  © 2009 by Joseph Allen and Claudia Worrell Allen. As 15-year-old Perry shuffled into my office, with his parents trailing tentatively behind, he glanced at me with a strained neutral expression that Id found usually masked either great anger or great distress; in Perrys case it was both. Although anorexia is a disorder most often associated with girls, Perry was the third in a line of anorexic boys I had recently seen. When he came to see me, Perrys weight had dropped to within 10 pounds of the threshold requiring forced hospitalization, yet he denied there was any problem. He just wont eat, his mother began. Then, turning to Perry as if to show me the routine theyd been enacting, she asked with tears in her eyes, Perry, why cant you at least have a simple dinner with us? Perry refused to eat with his family, always claiming he wasnt hungry at the time and that he preferred to eat later in his room, except that that rarely happened. New menus, gentle encouragement, veiled threats, nagging, and outright bribes had all been tried, to no avail. Why would an otherwise healthy 15-year-old boy be starving himself? The question hung urgently in the air as we all talked. Lets be clear from the outset. Perry was a smart, good kid: shy, unassuming, and generally unlikely to cause trouble. He was getting straight As in a challenging and competitive public school honors curriculum that spring. And he later told me that he hadnt gotten a B on his report card since fourth grade. In some ways he was every parents dream child. But beneath his academic success, Perry faced a world of troubles, and while he took awhile to get to know, eventually the problems came pouring out. The problems werent what Id expected, though. Perry wasnt abused, he didnt do drugs, and his family wasnt driven by conflict. Rather, at first glance, his problems would seem more like typical adolescent complaints. And they were, in a way. But it was only as I got to understand him that I realized the adolescent problems Perry experienced werent just occasional irritations, as theyd been for me and my cohort as teens, but rather, had grown to the point where they cast a large shadow over much of his day-to-day world. Id later come to realize that Perry wasnt alone in that regard. One big problem was that while Perry was a strong achiever, he was not at all a happy one. I hate waking up in the morning because theres all this stuff I have to do, he said. I just keep making lists of things to do and checking them off each day. Not just schoolwork, but extracurricular activities, so I can get into a good college. Once he got started, Perrys discontent spilled out in a frustrated monologue. Theres so much to do, and I have to really work to get myself motivated because I feel like none of it really matters... but its really important I do it anyway. At the end of it all, I stay up late, I get all my homework done, and I study really hard for all my tests, and what do I get to show for it all? A single sheet of paper with five or six letters on it. Its just stupid! Perry was gifted enough to jump through the academic hoops that had been set for him, but it felt like little more than hoop-jumping, and this ate at him. But that wasnt his only problem. Perry was well loved by his parents, as are most of the young people we see. But in their efforts to nurture and support him, his parents inadvertently increased his mental strain. Over time, they had taken on all his household chores, in order to leave him more time for schoolwork and activities. Thats his top priority, they said almost in unison when I asked about this. Although removing the chores from Perrys plate gave him a bit more time, it ultimately left him feeling even more useless and tense. He never really did anything for anyone except suck up their time and money, and he knew it. And if he thought about backing off on his schoolwork...well, look how much his parents were pouring into making it go well. Sandwiched between fury and guilt, Perry had literally begun to wither. Reading Comprehension Worksheet Questions 1. This passage is narrated from the point of view of(A) a college professor studying the effects of bulimia on young males.(B) a young male named Perry, struggling with the effects of anorexia.(C) a concerned therapist who works with struggling young adults.(D) a doctor who treats eating, compulsive, and sleeping disorders.(E) a college student working on a thesis about eating disorders in young males. Answer with Explanation 2. According to the passage, Perrys two biggest problems were(A) being an unhappy achiever and his parents increase of his mental strain.(B) his poor attitude toward school and his consumption of everyones time and money.(C) his fury and guilt.(D) drug abuse and conflict within the family.(E) his inability to prioritize and anorexia. Answer with Explanation 3. The primary purpose of the passage is to(A) describe one young mans struggle with anorexia and, in doing so, provide possible reasons a young person may resort to an eating disorder.(B) advocate for young males who are struggling with an eating disorder and the decisions theyve made that have brought them to that struggle.(C) compare one young persons fight against his parents and the eating disorder that is ruining his life to the life of a typical teenager.(D) relate an emotional reaction to the shock of an eating disorder, such as that of Perrys, a typical young adult.(E) explain how todays youth often develop eating disorders and other terrible issues in their overactive lives. Answer with Explanation 4. The author uses which of the following in the sentence starting paragraph 4: But beneath his academic success, Perry faced a world of troubles, and while he took awhile to get to know, eventually the problems came pouring out?  (A) personification(B) simile(C) anecdote(D) irony(E) metaphor Answer with Explanation 5. In the second sentence of the last paragraph, the word inadvertently most nearly means(A) steadily(B) monumentally(C) incrementally(D) mistakenly(E) surreptitiously Answer with Explanation More Reading Comprehension Practice