McDonaldization, Trust, Risk

The common thread between Weber's bureaucracy and McDonaldization is the alienation that results from the complexity that society accumulates under increased rationality.  According to Ritzer, the dimensions of McDonaldization are "operating procedures perfected (but not originated) by McDonald's that have been duplicated in countless arenas..." (Applerouth & Edles, 2016, 789).  These dimensions are efficiency, calculability, predictability, control through non-human technology, and the scripted interactions of dehumanized individuals (Applerouth & Edles, 2016, 789).  Notice how these dimensions describe Weber's iron cage: a metaphor for the alienation experienced under a heavily rationalized society, governed by excessive rules and regulations. 

I think the effects of McDonaldization have a profound influence on our social lives.  Before this trend, people would chat comfortably in mom-and-pop stores, where there were less regulations than the modern chain stores today.  I think it's made our conversations more fast-paced, and made us more self-conscious about "moving things along", so people can keep buying things without being interrupted.  I worked at McDonald's for five years; I know what this feels like.  I don't know if I'll ever recover from the "need it now" mentality that this company and others have drilled into my brain. 

Giddens understands trust as an ironic aspect of modern society, because "...increased security has been coupled with increased danger, while a growing need for trust has been coupled to a growing exposure to risk" (Applerouth & Edles, 2016, 809).  I agree that on an unconscious level, we entirely put our trust in modern institutions and especially engineers.  We rely on their expertise when driving, flying, boating, even walking down the street with power lines everywhere.  There's probably a certain amount of risk in everything we do.  Though I do think mathematically an individual has less risk these days compared to prehistoric times, we as a species are at high risk for a catastrophic event of our own making.  It's an interesting paradox.