Theorizing/Resisting McDonaldization: A Multiperspectivist Approach Douglas Kellner (http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/kellner/kellner.html) GeorgeRitzer'sTheMcDonaldizationofSocietyhasgeneratedanunprecedentednumberofsales andscholarlyinterest,asdemonstratedbyhighlyimpressivesalesfigures,neweditionsofthe book,andthegrowingcriticalliteraturededicatedtothephenomenonofwhichthisbookisa part(seealsoAlfino,CaputoandWynard1998andKincheloeandShelton,forthcoming). Ritzer'spopularizationofMaxWeber'stheoryofrationalizationanditsapplicationtoastudyof theprocessesofMcDonaldizationpresentsaconcreteexampleofappliedsocialanalysiswhich clarifiesimportantdevelopmentsinthepresentmoment,callingattentiontotheircostsand benefits,theirpositiveandnegativesides.Thewide-spreadreception--andthecontroversyit hasevoked--suggeststhatRitzerhastoucheduponsomevitalnervecentersofthe contemporaryerawhichIsuggesthavetodowithdiscontentsovermodernityandambivalent attitudestowardtherapidtransformationofthepresentforwhichtheterm"postmodernity"has been coined. ThechoiceofMcDonald'srestaurantsasanexampleofdefiningproblematicalaspectsofour contemporaryworldisafelicitousone.Thephenomenonof"McDonaldization"whichRitzer elicitsfromhisanalysisofMcDonald'sfast-foodrestaurantsencompassesbothproductionand consumption,andisappliedtoabroadscopeofeconomic,political,social,andculturalartifacts andmechanisms.Ritzerisabletoapplyhisconceptstophenomenarangingfromworktoleisure, fromfoodtomedia,fromeducationtopolitics.Encompassingsuchadiversefieldoftopicsand artifactsexemplifiesthesociologicalmomentofilluminatingabstraction,ofgeneratingaconcept sobroadastoconceptuallygraspandinterpretawealthofdatainawaythattheorizesdefining andconstitutivefeaturesofthepresentmoment.Suchamodeoftheorizing--nowunderattack bysomemodesofpostmoderntheory--helpsuscriticallyviewkeysocialdynamics,institutions and problems, thus exemplifying the major strength of classical social theory.[1] Inthisstudy,IwillattempttoilluminateboththestrengthsandweaknessesofRitzer'stheoryof McDonaldizationandwillsuggestsomealternativeperspectives.IwillfirstdiscusshowRitzer theorizesMcDonaldization,focusingonhismodeofsocialanalysisandwillarguethatRitzer failstoadequatelyexplicateitsculturaldimensions.Drawingoncontemporaryculturalstudies,I accordinglyaddaculturalperspectivetoRitzer'sanalysisanddiscusswhetherMcDonaldization isproperlyaphenomenonofmodernityorpostmodernity,andwhetheritisbettergraspedby modernorpostmoderntheory.Ithentakeontheissueofthestandpointandstrategyofcritique ofkeyphenomenonalikeMcDonald's,orMcDonaldization,andsketchoutsomecritical perspectives and strategies of resistance that explicate and supplement Ritzer's normative stance. MyargumentisthatRitzerdoesnotadequatelydistinguishbetweenMcDonald'sandthe broaderphenomenonofMcDonaldization,thathistakingtheinfamousfast-foodcompany McDonald'sastheparadigmofMcDonaldizationskewshisanalysisnegatively,missingthe dialecticsofMcDonaldization,itspositiveandnegativefeatures.YetIalsowanttoarguethat RitzerdoesnotdevelopanadequatestandpointofcritiquetoevaluateeitherMcDonald'sor
McDonaldizationandthisthisproblemresultsfromexcessivedependenceonWeber'stheory andthatamultiperspectivistmethodcanovercometheseproblems.Accordingly,Iarguefora multiperspectivistapproachtocapturethecomplexityofMcDonald'sandMcDonaldizationsoas to better critically evaluate its multifarious aspects and effects. McDonaldization, Social Theory, and Cultural Studies TheMcDonald'sfast-foodrestaurantscertainlyprovideausefulexampleofafamiliar sociologicalartifactthatcanbeanalyzedtogenerateamoregeneralandmacrolevelof conceptualization.Fewartifactsandinstitutionsofthecontemporaryworldareaswell-known andubiquitousasMcDonald'swithitsBigMacs,GoldenArches,RonaldMcDonald's, promotionaltie-inswithpopularfilmsandtoys,itscharities,andsaturationadvertising.Boththe rationalizationofproductionandconsumptioninMcDonald'sisunparalleledinthe contemporaryera,andservesasamodelforwhatRitzercallsthe"McDonaldizationofsociety" definedbyincreasedefficiency,calculability,predictability,andcontrolthroughsubstitutionof humanlaborpowerwithtechnology,allofwhichconstituteaquantitativeandtosomealarming growth of instrumental rationalization. Ritzer'sprojectcombinesuseofWeber'ssociologicaltheorytogeneralizeaboutMcDonald's withawealthofempiricaldatatoillustrateandfleshoutthepoints.Hisresearchmethodfollows whatAlvinGouldnercalled"newspapersociology"(1976),assemblinginformationandnewson McDonald'sthroughgatheringandcitingnewspaperarticlestoillustratehisarguments--as opposedtohistoricalsociology,ethnography,phenomenology,culturalstudies,andsoon.[2] Thisperspectivecombinesatheoreticalopticwithempiricalillustrationtoenablethereaderto seehowthegeneraltheoreticalpointsareembodiedinconcretephenomenathatcanbeobserved, confirmed, and discussed. RitzerprivilegesWeber'sconceptionofrationalizationtotheorizethephenomenonof McDonaldizationwhichheseesas"comingtodominatemoreandmoresectorsofAmerican societyaswellasoftherestoftheworld"(1996,1).RitzerextendsWeber'sanalysistoawealth ofphenomena,demonstratingthattheprinciplesofMcDonaldizationarerestructuringavast arrayoffields,rangingfromthefood,media,education,andhealthcareindustries, encompassingfundamentallifeprocessesfrombirthtodeath(1996,161ff).Thestrengthofthe analysisisthelightthatsuchstrongperspectivesshedongeneralsocialdynamicsandthe mappingofthemacrostructuresofcontemporarysocialorganization.Thelimitationofthe analysisisthattheWeberian-inspiredperspectivesoftengenerateaone-sidedandlimitedoptic that needs to be supplemented, corrected, and expanded by further critical perspectives. Wemight,forinstance,deployaMarx/WebersynthesistotheorizeMcDonaldizationasa combinationofinstrumentalrationalizationofproductionandconsumptionwithasustained corporateattempttoincreaseprofit.[3]Indeed,McDonaldizationseemstoequallyinvolve commodificationandrationalization,tocommodifyfoodproductionandtorationalizeits productionandconsumptionsoastoincreaseprofitability.WhileRitzerappliesthe McDonaldizationmodeltoproductionandconsumption,helargelyemphasizesconsumptionand thusdownplaysthewaysthatMcDonaldizationhasrevolutionizedproduction--despitesome referencestoTaylorismandFordism(Ritzer1996,24-27,passim).Likewise,althoughhe
stressestheroleofprofitindrivingMcDonaldization(1996,44,62f,87f,passim),Ritzercould bettercontextualizethephenomenonwithintheframeworkofarestructuringofcapitalism, aimingattheincreaseofproductivityandprofitthroughrationalizationofproductionand consumption.Forinadditiontobeingpartofarationalizationprocess,McDonaldizationispart ofanewglobalformoftechnocapitalisminwhichworldmarketsarebeingrationalizedand reorganized to maximize capital accumulation.[4] Equally,whileRitzer'slargelysociologicalanalysisilluminateskeyfeaturesofMcDonald'sfast- foodchainsandtheapplicabilityofitsprinciplestoavarietyofotherphenomenonisstriking,he neglectstheculturaldimensionsoftheMcDonald'sphenomenonandinparticularthewaysin whichthecorporationmobilizesadvertisingcampaignsandpromotionalstuntstocreatean experienceoffun,offamilytogetherness,ofAmericanizationitselfwhichisassociatedwiththe McDonald'sexperience.Thus,whenonebitesintoaBigMacs/heisconsumingthesignvalues ofgoodtimes,communalexperience,consumervalueandefficiency,aswellasthe(dubious) pleasuresoftheproduct.McDonald'sisnotjustsellingfast-food,butafamilyadventureof eatingouttogether,intergenerationalbonding,andacommunalexperience,astheiradvertising campaignsreiterateoverandoverinvariousways.Purchasingandingestingaspecificfood productisonlyonepartofthisexperience,whichincludestheconsumptionofsignvaluessuch asinexpensivefood,afamilyouting,Americana,ormodernity(seethedetailedanalysesin Goldman 1992: 85ff. and Kincheloe 1997: 249ff.). McDonaldizationisthusanideologyaswellasasetofsocialpractices,aculturalconstructwith itsmyths,semioticcodes,anddiscourses.McDonald'sitselfprojectsanideologyoftheU.S.asa meltingpotinwhichallcitizensparticipateequallyinitsdemocraticpleasures,irregardlessof race,class,gender,andage.ItfurnishesamodeloftheUnitedStatesasalandofconsumer innovationandtechnicalrationalitywhichproducesinexpensiveanddesirablegoodsforall, servingitscustomer'sneedsandprovidingavaluableproduct.McDonald'sassociatesitselfwith traditionslikethefamily,nationalholidays,patriotism,Christiancharity,andtheiconsofmedia culture.GoingtoMcDonald'sfordenizensoftheU.S.isthusjoiningtheconsumersociety, participating in the national culture, and validating common values. RitzerthusunderplaysthewaysthatMcDonald'sisanideologicalandculturalphenomenon,as wellasaneconomicandsociologicalsetofpractices.Althoughheapplieshisanalysisof McDonaldizationtoawiderangeofculturalphenomena(themedia,education,travel,food, etc.),Ritzerdoesnotreallyengagethespecificallyculturaldimensionoftheoperation.In Weberianterms,heneglectsthecharismaoftheGoldenArches,RonaldMcDonald'sand McDonaldland,thetie-insandpromotions,andtheubiquitousadvertising,aimedatavarietyof gender, race, class, and national subject positions.[5] Consuming McDonald's Ritzeralsoexcessivelygeneralizeshisanalysisofthehomogenization,massification,and standardizationofMcDonaldization,neglectingthevarietyanddiversityofconsumerpractices indifferentregionsandpartsoftheworldandthevarioususestowhichconsumerscanput McDonaldization,usingitsproductsandprocedurestoservetheirownneeds.Britishcultural studieshasstressedtheimportanceofanalyzingthewaysthataudiencesorconsumerscreate
theirownmeaningsandexperience.TheMcDonald'sfast-foodchainsandotheraspectsofwhat RitzercallsMcDonaldizationgenerateavarietyofwaysspecificpleasures,meanings,and effectswhichamicroanalysisofparticularformsandexperiencesofMcDonaldizationcan interrogate.AsIsuggestbelow,peopleindifferentcountriesnodoubtexperienceboth McDonald'sandMcDonaldizationinavarietyofwaysandtherearedifferentgender,race,class, andregionaldifferencesinthephenomenaoffast-foodandsocietalrationalizationthatRitzer fails to explore in much detail. BylargelyprivilegingWeber'stheoryofrationalizationinhisanalysisofMcDonaldization, Ritzerthusmissesthesubjectiveaspectsoftheprocessandthewaysthatvariousindividualsand groupsdeployMcDonaldizationtoservetheirownneedsandinterests.Hisprivilegingofthe categoryofrationalizationisthustooobjectivisticandfailstoarticulatethesubjectiveand culturalcomplexofMcDonaldization.Indeed,IamnotsurethatWeber'smetaphorofthe"iron cage"thatRitzersuggests,northealternativemetaphorsheproposesofthe"velvet"or"rubber" cage,arethebestwaystointerrogatetheMcDonald'sphenomenon.InthecaseofMcDonald's-- andmanyotherfast-foodemporiums,sitesofmassentertainmentandconsumption,andmedia culture--,perhapssomethinglike"theplasticfunhouse"ismoreappropriate.Whereassocietal rationalizationaccuratelydescribesaspectsofthesocio-economicrootsofMcDonaldization, thereisamorehedonisticandfun-orientedculturalsidethatmetaphorsofa"cage"donot adequately capture. Itis,forexample,unlikelythatmanyMcDonald'scustomersseethemselvesastrappedina cage,althoughnodoubtmostofitsworkersfeelenclosedandencagedintheirconstrictivelabor conditions,asevidencedbytheirespeciallyhighturnoverrates(seebelow).Ontheculturalside, McDonaldizationhidestheconditionsofrationalizationwithacolorfulenvironment,often decoratedwithimagesfromcurrentfilmsandiconsofpopularentertainmenttoprovidea funhouseexperienceandtoentertainthecustomeraswellastofilltheirstomachs.Beneaththe glitzyandkitchsyappearance,inexorableconditionsofrationalization(andattemptstomaximize profits)workbehindthebacksofthecustomers,maskedbythefacadeofthepromised experienceofMcDonald'srestaurantsasprovidingfunandpleasurablefasteatingforafast- paced consumer society. McDonald's Between the Modern and the Postmodern RationalizationisitselfequatedwithmodernizationinstandardinterpretationsofWeber,and onemightraisethequestionofwhetherMcDonaldizationisproperlyinterpretedasan expressionofmodernity,asRitzerargues(1996,148f.),orofpostmodernity.Clearly,the rationalizationorindustrializationoffoodproductionconstitutesarupturewithtraditionallife (Forearlieranalysesofthemechanizationofagriculture,food,labor,house-cleaning,theobjects ofeverydaylife,anddeath,seeGiedion1969).AsRitzerargues,followingWeber'smodel, increasedrationalizationofeverydaylifeinvolvesruptureswithtraditionandthesubstitutionof new"modern"forms,thuscreatingtensionsbetweenthemodernandthepremodern.Claimsthat wearenowleavingmodernitybehindforanewpostmodernitywouldsuggestthatweare leavingmodernsocialandculturalformslikeMcDonaldizationbehindinfavorofnew postmodern conditions.
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