Question 1

The McDonald's system is built on the idea that
A) anything we can do ourselves can be done better by a large corporation.
B) we are social animals who seek others' company rather than staying (isolated) at home.
C) advertising makes us see the world the way we want it to be, not the way it really is.
D) we have too little time, money, or desire to be surprised or challenged.

Accepted Answer

The McDonald's system is built on the idea that customers have too little time, money, or desire to be surprised or challenged. Their goal is to provide fast, cheap, and consistent food that meets customers' expectations every time they visit.

Question 2

In Ritzer's terminology, a shop whose employees make violins by hand in the traditional manner of a craftsperson would be
A) an example of a part of the society untouched by the McDonald's system.
B) moderately McDonaldized because the shop probably uses an assembly-line process.
C) more like Domino's Pizza (optionally delivered) than McDonald's hamburgers.
D) anti-innovative, unprofitable, and elitist.

Accepted Answer

According to Ritzer, McDonaldization is the process by which the principles of the fast-food industry have come to dominate an increasing number of organizations and sectors. A shop where employees make violins by hand in the traditional manner is an example of a craft-based system that has not been influenced by the McDonaldization process. Therefore, it is untouched by the McDonald's system.

Question 3

Ritzer thinks the most valid criticisms of the McDonald's system are ones that
A) compare the past-slower, more humane, less materialistic-to the present.
B) focus on economic exploitation of workers and government subsidies to major corporations.
C) describe the way people's potential is limited by "overly rationalized" organizations.
D) point to government policies that make unhealthy food cheap and healthy food expensive.

Accepted Answer

Ritzer argues that the most valid criticisms of the McDonald's system are those that focus on the negative effects of overly rationalized organizations, which can limit individuals' potential and alienate them from their work. While the other options may also be valid criticisms, they do not fully capture Ritzer's perspective on the issue.

Question 4

Which of the following does Ritzer NOT associate with the McDonald's system?
A) pleasure
B) calculation
C) predictability
D) control

Accepted Answer

Ritzer associates calculation, predictability, and control with the McDonald's system, as they are all key features of its highly rationalized and standardized approach to production and service. However, he does not associate pleasure with the system, as he argues that the emphasis on efficiency and speed often comes at the expense of quality and enjoyment for both workers and customers.

Question 5

By "McDonaldization," George Ritzer means the
A) declining standards of quality in the American economy
B) postindustrial emphasis on productivity rather than serviceability
C) practices that maximize efficiency, predictability, calculation, and control
D) commercial emphasis on young consumers who are more receptive to advertising

Accepted Answer

McDonaldization refers to the process by which organizations, particularly in the service sector, adopt the characteristics of the fast-food restaurant chain McDonald's. These characteristics include efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control. The goal of McDonaldization is to maximize production and minimize cost, but it can result in standardization and dehumanization in the workplace and in society as a whole.

Quiz 36: George Ritzer, the Mcdonalds System From the Mcdonaldization of Society

The McDonald's system is built on the idea that

In Ritzer's terminology, a shop whose employees make violins by hand in the traditional manner of a craftsperson would be

Ritzer thinks the most valid criticisms of the McDonald's system are ones that

Which of the following does Ritzer NOT associate with the McDonald's system?

By "McDonaldization," George Ritzer means the