Culture, the Individual, & Society

Social Structure The social structure of a society – how society is organized – shapes how we are connected to others Social institutions – family, economy, education Patterns of behavior and expectations Social Groups: Primary: strong, intimate ties (family, friends) Secondary: weak, superficial ties (work, school)

Modern Social Structure: Rationalization Rationalization: process by which thought and action are no longer rooted in emotion, tradition, but become rooted in ‘value-rational’ thought and action Value –system (culture) Institutional Organization The Cow Hindus – symbol of everything alive McDonalds – “means to an end” Main feature of modern organizations is rationalization Rationalization: process by which thought and action are no longer rooted in emotion, tradition, but become rooted in ‘value-rational’ thought and action Find the most efficient way to achieve a valued goal or end Max Weber gives us a way to think about rationalization in society and organizations. Organization are good efficiently managing people and goods on a large scale capable of promoting inefficient, irresponsible and destructive actions The Cow Hindus – symbol of everything alive McDonalds – “means to an end” …most efficient way to produce hamburgers from a cow Steer used to take 4-5 years to get to slaughter – now 14-16 months

October 7th Attendance Lecture Four: McDonaldization and our Social Connections Film: Becoming American Homework: Annual Editions Reading #4 The Myth of the “Culture of Poverty” Shipler, David Working Poor Introduction

McDonaldization of Society McDonaldization: “process by which the principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of society” – George Ritzer Efficiency Quantification Predictability Non-human Technology

Efficiency Efficiency is the choosing the fastest means to an end, with the least amount of cost or effort. The idea of efficiency is specific to the interests of the industry or business, but is typically advertised as a benefit to the customer. Examples: the drive-up window, self-serve gasoline, ATM's, The customer often ends up doing the work that previously was done for them. We end up spending more time, being forced to learn new technologies, remember more numbers, and often pay higher prices

Quantification & Calculation Quantification “involves an emphasis on things that can be calculated, counted, quantified. Quantification refers to a tendency to emphasize quantity rather than quality. This leads to a sense that quality is equal to certain, usually (but not always) large quantities of things." (Ritzer 1994:142) Examples of this element include: the "Big Mac," the Whopper," "Big Gulp," Wendy's "Biggie Meals," The credentialing process.

Predictability Predictability refers to the attempt to structure our environment so that surprise and difference do not encroach upon our sensibilities. Rational people need to know what to expect. They want to be sure that the fun, satisfaction, taste, and benefits they received last week in Cincinnati will be repeated next week in San Diego. A Big Mac is a Big Mac is a Big Mac.

Non-human Technology Non-human Technology: Everything is pre-packaged, pre-measured, automatically controlled. The human employee is not required to think, just follow the instructions and push a button now and then. "The next step in this development is to have the customer do the scanning,..." (Ritzer 1994:150). What this means is that the skills and capabilities of the human actor are quickly becoming things of the past. Who we are and how we interact is becoming defined by our dependence upon and subordination to the machine.

Disenchantment of the World McDonaldization at large works to eliminate genuine human interaction, because interactions are unpredictable and waste time When you are at Target or Starbucks does the person helping you really mean it when they ask “How are you today?” And do you give a genuine answer? As our interactions are structured by rational environments, there is a break down in genuine and spontaneous human interaction

Social Capital Social capital: the social knowledge and connections that enable people to accomplish their goals and extend their influence Social networks Mutual obligation Trustworthiness

Types of Social Capital Bridging Social Capital – outward looking and inclusive Unifies people across social boundaries Ex: Interfaith religious groups Bonding Social Capital – inward looking and exclusive Reinforces identities among homogeneous groups Ex: Fraternities and Sororities