Part I: McDonaldization in my life
On careful self-reflection, the concept of McDonaldization is reflected in my life in several aspects, some of which are positive while others leave room for improvement. Whereas I did not know about the concept of efficiency, it is something that I have been trying to inculcate into my life for as long as I can remember. In everything I undertake, I have been teaching myself to constantly better my best, both in process and outcomes. From the perspective of calculability, quantity and achievement precedes quality (Aldrich & Lippmann, 2018). My plans for the future and also my envisaged legacy in life is predicated on this concept. I have a carefully worked out strategic plan about my life, primarily predicated on what I want to become as opposed to whom I would want to be. Within the plan is the level of academic and professional achievements I aspire for and also what kind of a family unit I would want to have. In a nutshell, I would want to live a life that would leave an impact that would be positively remembered. When it comes to predictability, to some extent I have sought to develop a definitive personality based on a set of rules that create parameters for my character and decision-making processes. For example, when I watch a movie or read a story, I can always tell what decision I would have made or what move I would not have made, based on this set of rules. In some cases, however, seeking to play by my rules while at the same time operate efficiently and in line with calculability approach, the general outcome is preposterous enough to be considered as an irrationality or rationality. To some extent, therefore, McDonaldization has brought some positivity in my life but it has also resulted to some warped approaches to a variety of critical decisions in life.
Part II: Reflection on Impact of McDonaldization
In spite of the positive character-molding impact of McDonaldization in my life, I have reason to believe that the overall impact has been a negative one, more so when it comes to quality of life. The reflections made in the process of studying about the impact of McDonaldization has been eye-opening on the fact that calculability is too much ingrained in my life for my own good. Everything I do or want to be in future fits the profile of both what I want to become and what I would want to be seen to have become as opposed to who I would want to become. For example, I have plans for the academic level that I want to attain and the professional achievements that I intend to achieve. The academic and professional attainments would contribute to my status in society, my legacy and the loved ones with whom I would want to share my life with. I have never taken time to think about who, not what, I would want to be. Similarly, I have never taken time to think about whether or not having that level of education or professional achievements would make me happier or would enable me to have love and joy to share with those who shall be closest to me (Smith, 2017).
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McDonaldization, if unchecked has the capacity to eliminate the humanity in me and cause me to be almost robotic, just a system that seeks to get things done. In the final analysis, I will have created a great life which, probably would leave a great legacy but I would, however, have forgotten to live my life. From the perspective of the core value of community, relating with people is not just about what you can give them, but also about what you are to them. McDonaldization is about quantity and not quality which relates more to material things rather than the quality of relationships. The kind of change I would want to see from the current personality based in McDonaldization is a scenario where my college colleagues will remember who I was to them more than they remember my grades. Where my family will remember how I cared about them more than what I bought for them and where my colleagues in my professional life will remember the kind of friend I was more than the kind of worker I was. It is to effect these changes that I would aspire to makes changes on the McDonaldization in my life.
Part III: Process of Change
My strategic plan to effect the changes indicated above would take a threefold approach relating to myself, the community around me now and in future, and my future plans. The first step would be a self-evaluation with the intent to understand what about me is a manifestation of calculability and how to change it (Aldrich & Lippmann, 2018). The most important step about change is to accept that the status quo is untenable. Understanding this status quo and why is untenable is thus paramount. After accepting my character flaws the next step is to seek to amend them. After the personal phase is completed the second phase relates to the core value of community, as it relates to interpersonal relationships. I would work on creating interpersonal relationships with those around me that are not transactional in nature. In this regard, I would want to relate to people, not based on what we can get from one another but who we can be to one another and the nature of the relationship we can share. Finally, I would seek to review and amend my strategic approach to life, the future, and my legacy so as to create one that makes me a better person, instead of one that only makes me a great person (Smith, 2017). The end result of the change plan would see me seeking to live my life, instead of living to create a legacy.
References
Aldrich, H. E., & Lippmann, S. (2018). The McDonaldization of everything: Teaching weber to undergraduates. Entrepreneur & Innovation Exchange .
Smith, E. (2017, May 24). Psychology shows it's a big mistake to base our self-worth on our professional achievements. Retrieved from https://qz.com/990163/psychology-shows-its-a-big-mistake-to-base-our-self-worth-on-our-professional-achievements/
