MacDonaldisaation Thesis (Education paper) analysis of journal article Essay

MacDonaldisaation Thesis (Education paper) analysis of journal article by Dale (1994) UK EDUCATION SYSTEM KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED - Essay Example The 'Mac' chain of restaurants is famous for standardising everything related to the production or selling of their goods. Dale (1994) also argues how Ritzer has started a crusade against the 'fast-food' giant 'Mac' and how they have ensured the disintegration of the family. He quotes Ritzer in saying that the habitual use of 'McDonaldized' systems is destructive to our physical and physiological well-being as well as to the society as a whole. We have to agree to the fact that we are in a world where brand names become common names. If we were to ask what is common between 'Zipper', 'Xerox', 'Kerosene', then the answer is they are all 'Trade names' that has become common names. In the same vein, the processes adopted by 'McDonaldization' have come to stay with us as 'McDonaldization'. In fact, 'McDonaldization' is much older than we thought (see McDonaldization 2008). In fact it is much older than the principles adopted by Ray Croc, founder of McDonalds (for more information see McDonaldization 2008). If that was the case, then why talk of only 'McDonaldization' It is possible that everybody could afford a 'Big Mac', but not a Ford automobile! The logic of operating 'Mac' although looks very simple and organised and certain things have to be borne in mind. First, 'Mac' makes a limited set of dishes that are similar in taste, packaging and quality; secondly people like it and hence its popularity and finally the volume of 'Mac' food eaten by people is a very small compared to their normal food. In this age of globalisation and free trade it is inevitable that all products cannot be handmade and delivered specially. Mass production is inevitable; also because the consumption, sometimes, far exceeds the production. The only way to ensure that any product lives up to the manufactures reputation is that they are trouble free. To make it trouble free, certain manufacturing norms have to be introduced that are uniform and streamlined. The flipside to this argument is that 'Mac' generates trash because of 'McDonaldization' procuring food that has ethical issues. So it is under these 'parameters' we are forced to live and act, whe ther we like it or not. Ritzer opines that there are four reasons behind 'McDonaldization' namely efficiency, calculability, predictability and control. For details on this please refer to 'McDonaldization, (2008). Here again the flipside of the argument is that we have to take into consideration the following: 1) irrationality; 2) deskilling and 3) consumer workers (for more information see McDonaldization 2008) Dale, 'McDonaldization' and education 'Commoditization' of education is the byword in today's academic circles (Dale 1998; Daniel 2002). Dale (1998) argues about 'McDonaldization' of higher education in today's scenario. In today's education system, other than the traditional way of teaching, a lot of institutions are offering franchising options. This is akin to 'McDonaldization', but in the educational system. Daniel (2002) calls it the 'commoditization' of education. The advantages in this method are large. It brings education to all by implementing a uniform curriculum for everybody and it is gaining popularity in most of the Open Universities of the world and is also gaining acceptance in most of the developing countries. In this