Introduction

In the year 1993 a sociologist named George Ritzer wrote a book called The McDonaldization of Society, which wasn’t about how the deliciousness of McNuggets has revolutionized the world, but instead focused on how the methodology and rational structuring used at the McDonalds franchise functions. The concept is that traditional ways of thinking are replaced by ends/means focused goals, sense of social control and prioritization of efficiency. In the words of Ritzer McDonaldization is “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 the rest of the world”.
The following essay discusses the origins of Ritzers’ theory of McDonaldization, elaborates on the four components proposed by him and talks about the critique ‘irrationality of rationality’. The four components are then explained in context to education i.e. instances that happen in school/college/university are used as examples to demonstrate how education has become McDonaldized.

McDonaldization

The basis behind McDonaldization is heavily rooted in Max Weber’s theory of bureaucracy it is an administrated organization of large groups of people working together. There are different models of bureaucracy such as the Acquisitive Model and Monopolistic Model. The Weberian model prioritizes Hierarchy in an organization, Specialization of workers knowledge in their area, the following of rules and regulations and