03 Jan You have now reviewed

SOC110 The McDonaldization of Society

Module 1 Discussion

What are other examples of McDonaldization besides those listed in the book?

SOC110 The McDonaldization of Society

Module 2 Discussion

“Because they value efficiency,” says George Ritzer, “people are willing to pay the extra cost” (p. 44). Can you think of examples from your own life where you, or someone you know, has been willing to pay a higher price for a good or service because you/they thought it was more efficient? Looking back, was it/is it worth it?

SOC110 The McDonaldization of Society

Module 3 Discussion

Given the growing population in the U.S., do you think we could ever revert back to the personalized (i.e., family doctors) health care that we had in the not to distant past? What would be the advantages of a more personalized health care? What would be the disadvantages?

SOC110 TheMcDonaldization of Society

Module 4 Discussion

Do you believe that the educational system is a controlled institution? If so, who is in control? Is it the students, the professors, or someone else?

SOC110 The McDonaldization of Society

Module 5 Discussion

What is your own experience with telephone customer service? Do you think the use of non-human technologies improves it, or makes it worse? How do you think the process could be improved?

SOC110 The McDonaldization of Society

Module 6 Discussion

Go to your favorite fast-food restaurant (if you don’t have one, pick one you’re curious about, or that you might consider eating at if you had to). Price a dinner for the number of people who live in your household. Then, go to your local supermarket and price a dinner for your household using frozen dinners of your choice, and one that you would make from scratch– choosing ingredients that you like and simple dishes, avoiding processes ingredients as much as possible.

SOC110 The McDonaldization of Society

Module 7 Discussion

Share your recipe for your favorite non-McDonaldized burger. The term “burger” is used loosely to refer to a bun filled with various hot and cold ingredients, prepared on a grill. As you write your recipe, make it as removed as possible from a completely controlled, measured, and predictable recipe.

SOC110 The McDonaldization of Society

Module 8 Discussion

Are there trends or signs that suggest that we might be moving toward deMcDonaldization? What are such trends or signs?

SOC110 The McDonaldization of Society

Midterm Exam

Question 1 Weber’s term for the mode of operation of a society where the search by people of the optimum means to a given end is shaped by rules, regulations, and larger social structures.

Question 2 A system in which one large firm grants or sells the right to distribute its products or use its trade name and processes to a number of smaller firms who are legally independent but must conform to detailed standards of operation designed and enforced by the parent company.

Question 3 The assurance that products and services will be the same over time and in all locales.

Question 4 The emphasis on the quantitative aspects of products sold and services offered.

Question 5 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 of the rest of the world.

Question 6Watch the NBC Learn video below, and answer the following questions in an essay at least 8-lines long. Direct quotes from the book will be penalized as cheating:

Which dimension(s) of McDonaldization is/are emphasized?

From the perspective of consumers, what are the pros and cons?

Question 7 Explain how the area below has become more efficient for consumers in an essay at least 8-lines long. Direct quotes from the book will be penalized as cheating:

Question 8 After giving a short definition, compare and contrast the two concepts below in an essay at least 8-line long. Direct quotes from the book will be penalized as cheating.

Question 9 Describe at least three ways that predictability is emphasized in the area below in an essay at least 8-lines long. Direct quotes from the book will be penalized as cheating:

Question 10 Apply the six characteristics of bureaucracy (hierarchy of offices, specialization, technical competence, impersonality, rules and regulations, formal written communication) to the setting below in an essay at least 8-lines long. Direct quotes from the book will be penalized as cheating:

SOC110 The McDonaldization of Society

Module 2 Journal Entry 1

In Chapter 2, George Ritzer explains that fast-food chains have become so popular because they fit with our contemporary lifestyle. In this journal entry, you are going to examine whether this statement fits your own life. You should answer the questions below to structure your essay.

First, think about your own use of fast-food chains (such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc.). How often do you use them, and how (dine-in, carry out, drive through, etc.)?

Then, look at the elements of the changing society that Ritzer describes in Chapter 2 when he examines the relationship between McDonaldization and social change in American society (there is a section in the chapter that covers this topic. We are NOT referring to the dimensions of McDonaldization. Which ones of those can you apply to your situation? In other words, in what ways do you see your own life reflecting the changes Ritzer describes? Which ones do not fit? Give specific examples from your life to answer these questions.

At the end, based on your description of how you use fast-food restaurants and how your life has been affected by social changes in American society, decide whether Ritzer’s statement, overall, applies to you, or not. Are the reasons he gives for people using fast-food chains the same as your reasons?

SOC110 The McDonaldization of Society

Module 3 Journal Entry 2

In Chapter 3, Ritzer describes how higher education is striving for greater efficiency and is becoming what he terms a McUniversity. Think about your own educational experience, and the choices you have made when it comes to education. Drawing on Ritzer’s description of the McUniversity in particular, analyze your experience looking at those elements that fit with a search for greater efficiency, and those that do not. Overall, would you say that your education experience is efficient, or not? How so?

SOC110 TheMcDonaldization of Society

Module 5 Journal Entry 3

Ritzer argues that with McDonaldization, technologies, including “machines and tools, materials, skills, knowledge, rules, regulations, procedures, and techniques” (p. 89), control us. Without using direct quotes, summarize Ritzer’s definition of control by non-human technologies, including a description of what he means by non-human technologies.

Then, think of one area of your life, such as your job, banking, your education, a leisure activity, etc. (NOT choosing one of the areas described in the textbook), and think of how that statement may apply to that activity as you experience it. Based on this, do you agree with Ritzer’s argument? Do you feel that, as an employee, student, or customer, you are overly controlled by non-human technologies in this activity?

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a paper of the advantages of technology or about the importance of technology in contemporary life. You need to focus on the dimension of McDonaldization called control, in one area of your own life.

SOC110 The McDonaldization of Society

Module 6 Journal Entry 4

You have now reviewed the five principles of McDonaldization: efficiency, calculability, predictability, control, and irrationality of rationality. You have also examined how they affect your life. In this journal entry, take a synthetic look at the issue, to assess the impact of McDonaldization in your life. First, think about how much McDonaldization you think is present in your life, providing some examples. Then, consider whether you would like this to change, by reflecting on the positive and negative consequences of McDonaldization for you, including a consideration of our core value of community. You may want to focus on only one or two changes. Finally, think about how you might go about implementing such change(s), also thinking how that might relate to the core value of community.

SOC110 TheMcDonaldization of Society

Module 7 Course Presentation

Develop a PowerPoint presentation answering the “Thinking Critically” questions listed at the end of the reading from McDonaldization: The Reader that you chose in Module 1. Instructions to create an effective and attractive PowerPoint presentation are available the Course Presentation handout. Your presentation is worth 10% of your final grade.