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What is Mcdonalization, and is it bad for a society? Mcdonaldization is a term coined by George Ritzer in his book The Mcdonaldization of a Society. Ritzer explains the process of Mcdonaldization as a society becoming more like a fast-food restaurant through the adoption of four prominent characteristics. Efficiency, calculability, standardization, and control are the four characteristics of Mcdonalization, and these characteristics might seem like good things to any rational person. However, any process that adopts these characteristics, no matter how rational or good it appears at first glance, has the potential to turn out detrimental to society and even possibly transgressing the four primary characteristics of said process.

Ritzer based his work on Max Weber’s work. The only difference is that Weber compared society to a bureaucracy (which Mcdonalds is a bureaucracy so I don’t see much of a difference) with the same four characteristics. What makes Ritzer’s critical analysis stronger is that it has been updated with a modern bureaucracy that is identifiable by most people on this planet. Ritzer’s Mcdonaldization is the same thing as Weber’s rationalization and the structure these processes impose on human social interaction and thought process furthers the process even more and it is not a process that is easily reversible. The differences between someone who has gone through Mcdonalization and someone who hasn’t, is comparable to a domesticated animal and a wild animal. Granted this is a rough comparison, but the difference between the two is as apparent. While the four characteristics of Mcdonaldization have proven themselves successful over the years, the success has come with a grain of salt. In the past half century the effects of Mcdonaldization have become more apparent. Mcdonaldization is depersonalizing the social institutions that our society puts so much value in. In the past both individuals and society has a whole bought stock in our inalienable rights, but recently there seems to be more value placed on material goods. This attitude has taken over many of our social institutions and the negative effects have become blatantly obvious, the most prominent is the dehumanization of daily life, social interaction, and how we perceive our own lives.

This is a trend that needed to end yesterday. I think everyone can agree that this world is not a perfect place, but can anyone agree that the dehumanization of humans is in anyway going to help make this world a better place to live in? Unfortunately, people can be institutionalized to certain ways of life, and our society has been institutionalized to this way of life. So changes will not, nay, the changes cannot come overnight like a dream. No matter how badly they are needed.

http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/archives/2008/04/rising_food_pri_1.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/world/americas/18food.html

1. Why are food prices rising across the world? In the U.S?

Food prices are rising due to the increase usage of corn in ethanol production. This takes extra corn away from the food supply. The ripple effect has moved over to other grains, since there is less corn, they are feeling the effects in added demand for their use as a substitute. Even meat and poultry products are feeling the effects because of the increased cost in feed. The U.S. uses 25% of corn produced for ethanol production! This is outrageous, on top of that according to the USDA projected corn production is expected to be down 8% for 2008 in the U.S. due to farmers planting other grains to take advantage of other grains higher prices.

2. Is this a short-run or a long-run problem? Why?

It is a short-run problem that if not addressed quickly and properly could turn into a long-run crisis. Oil is at record prices, so we looked to ethanol to help alleviate some of the pressure put on the oil supply. The issue is that the U.S. uses corn to produce their ethanol to substitute for oil, but this is a major cause of the increases in food prices, and as long as we are using corn for this purpose it will continue to put pressure on food prices. The U.S. uses about 20 – 30% of its farmland for biofuel production, this farmland could be used for food production of course.

3. Are there any solutions to this on the horizon?

There are many alternatives to corn ethanol production that would help relieve some of the pressures that it has put on our food prices. Brazil has had tremendous success with sugar ethanol production and has become energy self sufficient. In addition they have a nation wide ethanol network and 90% of the automobiles manufactured in Brazil run on ethanol. Will this work for everyone, I don’t think so, but we can follow Brazil’s example. Sugar ethanol production does not take away sugar from our food supplies and the farmland used to produce sugar has taken away about 2-3% of land from grazing land for cattle, although, this has not hindered their beef production. In the U.S. the first algae biofuels plant went online April 1st in Texas. Biofuels from algae produce 30 times more energy per acre than corn or soy, so this is a start.

**4/21/08 my discussion board post for my Economics of Mgmt and Strategy. What are your thoughts/comments?

OK, I am tired of being tired at 2 am. I’ve done almost all my homework…almost.

That’s besides the point. The reason for this post is to tell the 1 to 2 people who visit this site to hold on just a couple more days. I’ve finally got it looking somewhat respectable. So that said, please excuse the 2 color top image, it is just a place holder for another one coming soon. More to come later. Maybe I’ll start posting my homework for the internet.

What a sad state of affairs.