A research design paper - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages In short, McDonaldization of the society is termed as a process whereby the values of fast-food chains are becoming more and more dominant in defining our social identity. Mc Donald’s has revolutionized the way in which fast-food restaurants respond to customers. Rather than customers going to these outlets, the outlets have come to the customers. It is no surprise, therefore, that over 90% of children in the U.S visit McDonald’s (Andersen & Taylor, 2006). These fast-food chains have spread rapidly across the American society and are found in every nook and corner of the country, ranging from malls, cities and suburban areas to educational institutions, hospitals, military facilities as well as airports. At the same time, however, it must be noted that Mc Donald’s alone does not account for this change. Companies such as Toys R Us, USA Today and Dalton’s have followed suit. Regions that were previously considered remote for fast food consumption in the American society have now been encapsulated by this process. Similarly, the concept of “new bites” of the popular American newspaper USA Today has prompted other local newspapers to change their presentation of news. Mc Donald’s has truly been a role model for other businesses that have followed suit and associated themselves with the Mc Donald’s brand. For instance, USA Today’s “McPaper”, McDoctor for clinics that offer drive in facilities and McChild for chains offering child care are all examples of companies that have tried to associate and benefit from Mc Donald’s success (Andersen & Taylor, 2006). 2) One major sociological explanation for McDonaldization of social life rests in the relationship between globalization and the social change of McDonaldization. The spread of Mc Donald’s culture has led to the spread of American culture across the globe. The theories of “transnationalities” suggest that the new information age and efficient transportation have increased the interaction that immigrants have with the political, economic, social and cultural interactions in their countries of settlement (Robinson, 2008). The influx of immigrants to First World Countries (including U.S.A) has led these individuals to take back the way of life and social character of the Westerners. Owing to this, transnational corporations such as Mc Donald’s, Unilever, Nestle and others are found in virtually majority of the regions of the world rather than their home countries. These MNCs bring with them their way of working which ultimately influences the entire society. Secondly, the value-added perspective provided by Smelser explains this phenomenon. As per this theory, collective behavior is the result of some tension or identifiable causes that mobilize members towards an “episode” of collective behavior (Locher, 2002). Values, norms, social structure and the means, skills and knowledge determine social movements (Locher, 2002). When applied to McDonaldization of social life, this view implies that values of giving priority to work, having less time for interacting on a personal basis and single parenting in the American society lead to people residing to shortcuts such as frozen food, quick cash withdrawal (ATMs) and self-service(gasoline stations). Furthermore, the social structure whereby our worth is judged by ...Download file to see next pagesRead More