Week 6: Rationalisation

Question 1

What is rationalistion?

Answer 1

Underlying contemporary society is an emphasis on rationality – the idea that efficiency and practical results should dominate all human affairs.

Question 2

What guided people before rationality?

Answer 2

tradition
the past
magic, superstition and mystery
customs

Question 3

What are the factors of McDonaldisation?

Answer 3

efficiency
calculability
predictability
control.

Question 4

What are the characteristics Bureaucratic organisations display?

Answer 4

specialisation
hierarchy of offices
rules and regulations
technical competence
impersonality
formal, written communications.
Also works regardless of the individuals

Question 5

The downside of bureaucracies?

Answer 5

They have the potential to dehumanise people working within them. Weber criticises bureaucracies for suppressing spontaneity and creativity, and for reducing people to small cogs in a ceaselessly moving mechanism, or entrapping people in an ‘iron cage’ of systems and rules.

Question 6

What are the 3 other dimensions of McDonaldisation?

Answer 6

Irrationality (burnt out bored employees)
Deskilling (a workforce which is easily trained and replaceable)
Consumer workers (ATMS, pumping gas, salad bars, self service)