Book Review: The McDonaldization of Society

"Little boxes on the hillside,
little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
little boxes, little boxes, little boxes
little boxes all the same"
- Malvia Reynold




Until I devoured George Ritzer’s book The MacDonaldization of society, I was thinking everything is very normal in our society, but now I realized we all are enchanted by the process called McDonaldization. Otherwise you tell me, whenever you get in to a McDonald’s or any fast-food restaurant, have you ever (I never) surmised why the guys in work are ‘acting’ very buzy, why in the shop only a few seats to sit but why more tables, why not any newspaper but only a TV above? Why not there is any kitchen inside and why they show their messy kitchen out? Why only a few menu and limited choice to offer? Why always young and energetic chaps are appointed there and why not old or middle aged? Why always the workers are replaced with others and why they have a uniform? And most often the employee asks us whether you eat it here or should he packs? Why the burger or any fast-food shows quantity rather quality? Or at least why the workers are wishing us ‘it’s my pleasure to help you or have a nice day?

To me, these questions were very stupid until I thumped through George Ritzer. Everything is beyond our expectations and our calculations, the book says.

George Ritzer is an American sociologist and he published this book in 1983 when nobody, even in India, envisioned about our today’s 20-20 cricket. He has not mentioned the term cricket anywhere in the book. Definitely he is not a Malayalee, and he does not know our Malayala Manorama and there is a least chance he visited in Hyderabad. But surely he has hinted at least three things, 20-20 cricket and Malayala Manorama and Hyderabad Tour Packages!

You read these paragraphs I quoted from his book,

"In the past few decades, the leadership of collegiate and professional (cricket) decided that fans raised in the McDonald’s era wanted to see faster games and many more (runs). In other words from (Cricket) what they got from their fast food restaurant- great speed and large quantities. It was believed, apparently correctly, that faster and higher scoring games would mean greater attendance and higher profits.  Instead of the often the defender taking his turn at his bat, someone whose main (and sometimes only) skill is hitting replaces him. Designated hitters will get more hits, hit more runs, and help produce more runs that defender who are allowed to bat. (quote continues...)"

"Stories in (Malayala Manorama) usually do not jump from one page to another; they start and finish on the same page. To meet this need, long, complex stories often have to be reduced to a few paragraphs. Much of a stories context, and much of what the principles have to say, is severely cut back or omitted entirely. With its emphasis on light news and graphics, the main function of the newspaper seems to be entertainment". 

Thousands of words are emerged prefixing McDonald’s or at least two simple letters ‘Mc’. McDentists, McDoctors, McChild, McStables, McPaper, McSex are some of these words.

So this term seems nothing to do with our eating habit. He explains in the book

"This is not a book about McDonald’s, or even the fast-food business, although both will be discussed frequently throughout these pages. Rather, MacDonald’s serves here as the major example, the ‘paradigm’ of a wide ranging process I call McDonaldization, that is

The process by which the principle of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world".

Why McDonald? Four alluring dimensions lie at the heart of the success of this model and more generally, of McDonaldization. McDonald’s has succeeded because it offers consumers, workers, and managers efficiency, calculability, predictability and control.

It offers the best available method to get from being hungry to being full. Calculability or an emphasis on the quantities aspects of products sold. Quantity has become equivalent to quality; a lot of something, or the quick delivery of it, means it must be good. As a culture, we tend to believe deeply that in general ‘bigger is better’. Predictability: the assurance that their product and services will be the same over time and in all locales. The people who eat in fast-food restaurants are controlled, albeit subtly. Lines, limited menus, few options, and uncomfortable seats all lead diners to do what managers wishes to do- eat quickly and leave.

After this point Ritzer goes far and compares all most all our social institution and checks how all these are McDonaldized. His extreme comparison of McDonald’s with Holocaust is worthwhile which seems he has such a strong disgust against the system called McDonald’s. McDonaldization and Holocaust show the same process, effectiveness, calculability, predictability, controlling and irrationality of rationality. The holocaust is an ‘efficient’ means for the destruction of massive numbers of human beings and it’s quite calculable that how many people could be killed in the shortest period of time (calculability) was effort to make mass murder predictable. Victims were controlled by a huge non human technology including the camps, the train system, the crematoria, and the bureaucracy that managed the entire process. He uses Weberian concept of bureaucracy and he shows if we examine the beurocrartization and McDonazation both share the same things. If we extend the McDonazation methods we can apply this theory to Shopping malls, entertainment, health care system, education and even pregnancy and death.

For instance when we hear Americans are hardly doing abortion, don’t think it a very positive thing rather they have already made everything possible to avoid the ‘abortion’, such as the selection of preferred gender, semen for a healthy and non diseased child, keeping a tentative pregnancy, doing all medical check up to see the ‘product’ called child in a ‘factory’ called hospital. Even death today becomes very McDonaldized, you can now compare all the leading point of McDonaldability of death also. Death becomes a rather entertaining business. Read this adv.

‘You will now have a choice! Louiseville’s affordable funarel home is your best choice; professional services $995; metal caskets as low as $160; opening May 1, 1994’

After all McDonaldization is nothing but the Americanization of society in a bad way.

This letter to the boss of McDonalds from a very passionate consumer when the main shop was in a verge of closing down: ‘Please don’t teare it down! Your company’s name a household word, not only in the United states of America, but all over the world. TO destroy this major artefact of contemporary culture would, indeed, destroy part of the faith the people of the world have in your company. (ER. Ship).

Like many of our scholars, Ritzer does not end up the book without any creative suggestion, but from the very first page he is telling how to lead a unMcDonaldized life today, in the concluding chapter he puts forwards a number of practical solution to escape from the McDonaldization, but the million dollar question is whether we learn a half lesion from it?

First Flight Journey (Part 1)

Most of you guys might raise your eye brow when you read this post. True, the same feeling I also will have if I read a bit of penning about ‘my first bus journey, or ya at least ‘my first train journey’. Flight now is not an unusual thing. Today in facebook, I saw people were hashing out MA Yusaf Ali’s resignation from the post of Air India Board in repudiating the step motherly attitude of Air India to its travelers, I felt that most of my buddies from Gulf countries partook that news in their wall, that’s obvious. So this post is not for you, dears, but some others who still can’t deem that a machine called aeroplane carries people and goods through the air. They only have a mind of what they think about an aeroplane. In my childhood, the picture of an  aeroplane  was always fixed with a line of a mappila song my mother always sang. Its UK Abu Sahla’s song, I still only can recollect those two lines,

Vaanil parakkum vimaanamedukkuka

Athu kannakalum thorum cheruthaakum

(oops! Blur memory yaar! I skipped a line!, anyone memorize that line?)

Its translation is almost ‘take the example of an aeroplane which float through the air

It becomes smaller when our eyes are far away!

So my image about the aeroplane in those days was something which grew to be smaller and smaller when it went to the colourful sky. We in our toddler days really envisaged only a rocket could make the white marks, so we were wondering these rockets were coming every day, or three, four in a single day! But later we were aware of that those were not the marks of paths of rockets, but any flying object could make those marks.

I still remember my first train journey, from Calicut to Ernakulam. Train, always resemblances a huge maggot! Yup! In the film MIB (I), the very first scene is placed in a railway station where a small worm suddenly grows up bigger and bigger and takes the railway track to dart smoothly. What an imagination, I appreciate it. Both train and maggot have so many similarities. The railway station was mackerel packed with a huge crowd. The train was approaching. I had taken a general ticket, but I did not really know which compartment I must get in. When I enquired to my co-travellers, they replied but a snigger. Train came and I jumped into any of an 'S' bogie. To my luck, TTR did not catch me, so I escaped from the jail or at least a penalty.

Forgive me! I realize that I have much diverted from the topic. I was telling this all only to say, that when you read this, don’t feel, ‘ ho! This guy did not get any other topic to talk about or prrr! This boring sort of flight experience I heard so many time, and I heard about the Anna Hazare drama less than this!’

When I saw the airport first? It was on 25^th April 2012and when I saw the airport, all my beautiful imaginations about an airport has just broken down, or at least shattered! I felt it was nothing but just a Secunderabad railway station (I must not say it looks like Secunderabad bus station, because it’s quite big!). I had to fly to Germany and my plain was at 9.15, so I must report at airport at least three hours before the departure.

Those days it was very hot! Sweat dropped out from every part of my body, especially from fore-head, if it were in red colour you must believe that  blood was oozing out! I got up very early from my bed only to wake up to an imaginary world where I would have flight, air, cloud and air hostess as my company. My classmate was also with me and she had already flied home by air. So I thought nothing was to be wired.

The previous day, I had called my uncle, Salam Kodiyathur.

‘Hi! Uncle! I am calling you this busy time only to clarify one doubt.’

‘Ok, what is that serious doubt?’

‘What must I do whenever I am given the panji and water by airhostess?’

Panji and water? What do you mean? It sounds like absurd.

I explained what I saw in a Malayalam film, Vettom in which Dilip was foxing the heroine.

Uncle burst into a laugher and after five or seven seconds, he explained that it is just another joke from Dilip, nothing serious in it.

We booked a taxi to fetch us to the airport. Taxi was very luxurious and when the driver turned A/C and a Tolliwood film song, the luxury started to augment. My brother Punnodi was with me, he was actually in an ecstasy. He always talked to the driver in a broken Telugu. When the comfortable cold inside began to diffuse slowly into my mind, I, bit by bit, went to a snooze. Driver was rushing to the spot, but whenever he crossed maximum speed limit the car stopped with a shriek and it got me also up.

The Rajive Gandhi airport in Hyderabad is very spacious. A kind of fright slowly erupted from my toe and it suddenly reached to my brain, that moment I felt to go to toilet. I said my brother to go back only when he got my missed call. We entered inside the airport. I smiled when our frog caged in a well, came to my mind, and I was thinking whether that frog and me had any similarity. Only 20 KG were allowed in our baggage. When my luggage was given, I saw it just crossed 20. If the lady at the counter (Is she also an air-hostess?) had asked me any additional charge for extra weight, I would have preferred to throw away two KG of washing powder, I soliloquized.

I already mentioned that I felt the airport as just an extended railway station, all the announcements resemblanced it. The destinations are same, Delhi, Vishakapatanam, Chnnai, Cochin, Kozhikode, Coimbathur, Ambala... I felt very hungry and it was the time of breakfast. I had time till my flight expected to arrive. I went in search of some food. When I heard the prize of a single kattan chaya, my belly murmured me, ‘daay! I am ready to put hold your hungry till you are provided a vegetarian ‘Hindu meal’ in the Air India. I felt very pleased to my suffering stomach! After a long waiting a sugary voice got nearer through the announcement box:

Flight number 2324 from Hyderabad to Delhi has just arrived and passengers are requested to board on. I queued to feel my first plain journey.

Book Review: A social history of Indian Football: Striving to Score

 A social history of Indian Football: Striving to Score by Boria Majumdar and Kausik Bandyopadhyay

Today I am writing about a book recently I winded up reading. Why did I like and enjoy this book?  My answer is a little perplexed, but one is very apparent, after my graduation I have not read any book with such an enthusiasm and felicitouse. After coming to Germany it was not at all my concern to read something out of my area of research. I went through two three American novels (Falling Man by Dilio) and some culture studies books. But when I saw this book at the South Asian Studies Dept. Library I felt I must read it. Those days the Euro cup was in its ecstasy. My favourite teams Deutschland and France were enjoying their easiest first round victories. I took the book, but it took me time to open it. For two weeks I have not even touched it. By the time, in Euro Cup, Germany fell down hit by Bellaolli’s two goals in the semi final and Spain again revenged Italy to satisfy the German (and to me, of course!). When all ruckus ended I started reading my usual books, Post Modern Theory, Society and Culture and all others. But suddenly I got a chance to beat a football for a kick or two, I felt so nostalgic and remembered my country. In that occasion, this book came as a soft hand to pat on my head. Really when I was reading it, I felt I was in a big maidaan playing football before a huge crowd. The ceaseless sounds of the supporting fans were everywhere. I usually read it in the Potsdam Library, and most of the time either I burst into laugh or made unusual movement with my legs as if I were  in  the Salt Lake maidaan in Kolkatta.

What is the special with this book? It delineates the earlier days of Indian football. As cricket, football also was infixed by the British. They explained this foot game as a moral tool. Football teaches the physical exercise, loyalty to the master, discipline, team spirit and a tight time schedule. As part of civilizing mission, football suddenly became a cane to teach the Indian schools about the colonial morality. The circular available in the archives have clearly shown the civilizing mission of Briton through the aired ball. It also was a tool of Whites to prove their physical strength and prowess. Every time only the British teams won in the ground, but once this notion fell upside down when Mohan Bagan foiled the British packed team in 1911. In that day football instantly became a symbolic gesture of nationalism. That moment Britain unproved whatever they were proving as a solid truth. See  the feeble, weak, effeminate Indian team played with their bare feet against strong, powerful, masculine Britain with their strong booted feet! But when India proved they could easily defeat the Briton, it led a serious discrimination from the Briton, every time they tried to discriminate Indian team or were not ready to play with it.  The 1911 victory was celebrated by all, newspapers wrote editorials on that great victory. But the British historian used that victory as a success of British imperialism!. One British historian wrote, Indians should be very grateful to Britain in this victory, because of Britain gave them enough confidence and mental strength even to defeat their masters. So I was in such a colonial football ground, there I saw the two teams literally fought each other with a weapon called football. Hence Mohan Bagan suddenly puffed with the nationalist spirit.

Then in 1920s, the picture slightly changed and the ball became a weapon used against the two religions. The poor ball which we see in ground is not the Football, but it changed as a round shaped weapon carries ideologies, political propaganda, religions symbols. When Muhammedan Sporting Club became a passion in 1920s, the ground became a battlefield of communal violence and serious discrimination on religious ground. In the book, one chapter very seriously asked why Mohammed Salim, one of the pioneer footballer of anytime was neglected in football history. Not Butia, but Mohammed Salim went to play in an English Club! But both he and his team Muhammaden Sprt Club were written off from the pages of history book. Surprisingly he played with his bare feet even in England!

Salim’s confidence encouraged Hashim (his coach) to speak to William Maley, the Celtic Manager: ‘ A great player from India has come by ship. Will you please take a trial of his. But there is a slight problem. Salim plays in bare feet.’

Maley laughed, the idea of a bare footed armature from India competing against Scottish professional was difficult to believe. But Hasim was persistent and the Celtic manger finally agreed to give him a trial. However, he emphasized the need to seek permission from the Football Federation for someone playing bare feet. If the federation gave their permission, he would give Salim a trial. Permission was eventually granted and Salim was asked to demonstrate his skill before 1000 club members and three registered coaches. He had never faced a trial like this before, and was understandably nervous. The coaches took him different corners and asked him to demonstrate his skill in six different ways. When salim finished his demonstration, they were astonished. Salim, the shy Indian, then asked Hasheem to seek permission to demonstrate three further styles of play. Eventually, they were convinced that an exceptional talent had arrived in Scotland. In his first match for Celtic against Hamilton, he was in great form. In fact, he was exceptional and Celtic won the match 5-1. In his second match against Galston, Celtic won 7-1 and his performance led the Scottish Daily Express of 29 August 1936, to carry the headline: ‘ Indian Juggler – New Style’. Salim was also offered a professional contract to paly in Germany.

The book again showed that how then the football became a tool to show the regional rivalries when East Bengal team was formed. The persistent opponents Mohan Bagan and East Bengal traced back in 1930s. Moham Bagan represents the Ghatti Hindus and East Bengal represent ‘Bangali’ Hindus. The ground became a battlefield for fighting for sub-regional and religional pride with a weapon called football. Above all football in Indian soil grew up, flowered and seeded. And in a certain moment, first time in history Indian team qualified for World Cup 1950! India did not go to play in world cup, because the FIFA laws did not allow anybody to play with bare feet.

The book then examines the growth of Indian states in regional and state base. It checks also the status of women’s football in the country. For getting more clarity it describes the story of ‘;Bend it Like Beckam’, a film screened in 1990s. And once when a women football match about to start, a team did not find enough players, at last their coach with her brocken leg agreed to stand under the post! If you go through the book, you will go through a number of incidents which shows the enthusiasm and over joy of fans to their clubs/ teams. I am only giving you some hints of only certain stories explained in the book. A supporter of Moahn Bagan committed suicide after a debacle of his team against east Bengal. He wrote in his suicide note: ‘I am taking my life now, only to reborn as a footballer in my next janam to avenge this defeat’.

An old man came very late to the ground, and the match was about to start. He was repeatedly asking whether the match started or not. Some acquaintances in the ground asked why he was late that day, he said: ‘ my son passed away today. And I came here from his funeral place to watch this match. After the match between East Bengal and Mohan Bagan the fans were traveling in the tram in Kolkotta, a toddler was overrun by the same tram. Somehow he managed to get it but he did not notice his toe was taken away by the tram. A toe in the road and a pool of blood in the tram later realized him that he lost his toe!

And when his favourite team posts its fourth goal, a man in the gallery broke his heart over the ecstasy!

To wind up this note I quot a description from the book:

‎'Mohan Bagan took Bombay literally by storm. One of the big banyan trees at the South - East corner of the Cooperage ground still bears witness to that terrible tornado. A huge branch with a load of 50 enthusiasts crashed to the ground when the Indian team took the lead against the Durham Light Infantry in the final match. It is said that this was the result of a burst of cheering'