Talk:McDonaldization

Is this some kind of elaborate joke?

No. It's a very real effect. Wait 20 years and you'll see.

A simple Google search would have shown enough evidence that this isn't a joke. There is no indication that it is, so I don't know what the original poster was implying.

That he is an idiot?

This was taught to me in Sociology at A-level, and it's not really a hugely stupid topic. It's more of a way of expressing what's happening in society than trying to judge it, trying to come up with a theory of what's making up society today rather than do anything about it. ...OKAY, yah, it is quite stupid, but then so's all of Sociology... Oh, and what I came here to ask- why is the Super Size Me (movie) link here? I don't think it really has anything to do with McDonaldization, I thought it was about how unheathy the "resteraunt" is? I'm going to remove it, if someone adds it again please justify it here first! --Oppolo 00:14, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

At least sociologists can spell "restaurant" and "unhealthy". Anyway, "Supersize Me" relates to McDonaldization to some extent, although the connection is tenuous. One of the dimensions of McDonaldization is quantification and calculability...this means that people think they are getting more for their money. A "supersized" meal is supposedly giving you more for your money, but as we all learned from the movie, it's giving you more of many things you do not need or want.

-- Actually, "Super Size Me" has quite a bit to do with McDonaldization. One of the main points of Ritzer's McDonaldization thesis is that rational bureaucratic organizations, like McDonalds, spawn irrationalities in the society in which they operate. Thus, from the standpoint of a shareholder or executive of McDonald's, the corporation operates entirely rationally, i.e. selling cheap, tasty food for a "healthy" (excuse the pun) profit. As "Super Size Me" points out, however, McDonald's has many irrational effects on individuals and society when viewed from a more critical angle. Things such as obesity, environmental degradation, poor working conditions, cultural decline, and brainwashed children are all products of the "rational" operation of McDonalds. And remember, McDonalds is just the eponymous example of the process of McDonaldization (McDonaldization was first written in 1993. Wal-Mart has probably eclipsed McDonald's as the new McDonald's). The idea is that many parts of society are becoming McDonaldized, i.e. the entire service sector, government, education, even War! Ritzer is updating Weber's idea of the Iron Cage of Rationality.

Super Size Me did not directly reference the sociological theory of McDonaldization. The film and the Ritzer book both come to the same conclusions about the McDonalds company, but from different angles. The film is about McDonalds, not McDonaldization.

Also, I came here looking for ISBN numbers for the books, but they weren't there, so I'm adding them now. Superbo 22:52, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

have you ever noticed that there are often McDonalds in Wal-Marts, McDonalds always has a Disney toy when a new movie comes out, and Wal-Mart always advertizes the new disney movie when it comes out? Just wonderin....

LOL

Removing huge section

I've killed this huge section:

1. What is McDonaldization? McDonaldization is the term used to describe the change that is happening in our society. It was first invented by sociologist George Ritzer in his text “The McDonaldization of Society”. He explained that there are 4 main dimensions of McDonaldization – that is efficiency, predictability, calculability and control and are all used amongst McDonaldized businesses. Ritzer gives specific definitions for each dimension:

• Efficiency – the optimum method of completing a task. The rationality determined best way of production – no individuality is allowed.

• Calculability – the idea of quantity over quality. McDonalds sells a ‘Big Mac’ not a ‘Good Mac’.

• Predictability – the production process is organized to guarantee uniformity of product and service. All shopping malls/chain stores look the same and stock the same products. All highway exits have the same assortment of businesses.

• Control – the substitution of more predictable, non-human labour for human labour either through automation (computers/machines/robots) or deskilling the workforce.

McDonaldization started off in America and inevitably spread all over the world to create the chain stores that surround us in our society today.

2.Who is effected by McDonaldization? McDonaldized businesses tend to look at younger people to employ. Young people always want/like the opportunity to work, while these employers like the ability to hire cheaper workers – which saves them money, thus increasing their profits. This affects older employable workers by limiting their ability to find work amongst McDonaldized stores – but also it does make it easier for younger people to find employment within Rotorua.

Low paid jobs may be good for younger employees, but are bad for older employable workers as they have more financial and social commitments like bringing up a family, having to buy food and clothing for their family, pay rent for a house to live in and the utility bills for these homes. This creates a social imbalance in society.

McDonaldization can also be linked to greed through “increased profits at all costs” approach of the McDonaldized store chains exampled through their low income labour.

Society has also been affected by the workers not being given the option/choice to not work on particular days such as public holidays and weekends.

3. How McDonaldized is Rotorua?' How McDonaldized is Rotorua? This question is a matter of perspective because it may all depend on the size of the city and the population in it.

Rotorua began as a little town – a simple town structure with a modest railway station which has now been demolished to make way for McDonaldized businesses. Trucks are the new McDonaldized way of transporting goods and over time the town became more and more McDonaldized to what it is today.

It seems that Rotorua is more McDonaldized than many smaller cites in New Zealand and other cities of similar size with the creation of the central mall. But against other larger cities Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Tauranga of whom have many malls through out their cities – Rotorua does not compare.

4. Why have we accepted McDonaldization in our society and in Rotorua? McDonaldization has been around for over 50 years in most, if not all, developed nations around the world and people have gotten used to the change that has occurred in their surroundings. A respondent in my recent survey states – “McDonaldization has been around for so long and people in Rotorua have just stopped noticing it happening around them, we are so used to it being there that we just continue along with our every day chores without being aware of this massive change”.

McDonaldization has led to more convenient shopping which can also be viewed as shoppers “taking the lazy option”. Modern day shoppers prefer to buy all their goods from one large store i.e. The Warehouse and Woolworths as opposed to purchasing from smaller, specialized, locally owned boutique businesses like ‘The Meate Shop’, Fruit and Vege Stores, ‘Cato’s’ and so on.

McDonaldization acceptance may also be seen in the opening of “McDonaldized stores” on public holidays and weekends, thus impacting on the old New Zealand way of life and culture of Weekends/Public Holidays being time to spend with family, friends and being involved in sports rather than shopping,

The main reasons I killed it are:

• It's unsourced. (All items)
• It reads like a political pamphlet instead of an encyclopedia. (All items)
• It needs wikified. (All items)
• It is redundant with what's still in the article. (Item 1)
• It confuses McDonaldization's endless sameness with Wal-Mart's lowest-possible-cost goal. Also, please note that nobody is effected by McDonaldization. To effect something is to cause it. People are not caused by McDonaldization. People are affected by economic issues like McDonaldization. (Item 2)
• Rotorua is not the entire world. Wikipedia strives to present a worldwide view. (Items 3 and 4)

This could be an interesting article, but not while it's harranguing modern shoppers for being too lazy to buy their food at four different stores. WhatamIdoing 03:57, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

What are some examples of McDonaldization in the College setting???