ME: “I  just paid $5 for a grande pumpkin spiced latte with soy [at starbucks]. I paid $3 for my soy latte at Niedlov’s earlier [local shop].”

Michelle: “You know what that is? McDonaldization.”

ME: “I know. Dang.”

Everyone worships something. I don’t care if you’re “religious” or not, you’re human therefore you worship. For many, they worship their status in the world. Their job. Their particular lifestyle. Their car. Their family. Their coffee.

For sociologists, we are constantly looking at the ways in which the things in the world change, shape, and mold us. An example would be fashion–my roommate, Michelle, is doing her senior thesis on “the sociology of fashion” (how fitting if you actually know her) and we have done a good bit of discussing the matter.  Fashion is produced out of the society and everyone conforms to it. Even the nonconformist because, you see, they think they are “doing their own thing” when in reality they are simply conforming to the ideals of “nonconformity.” Another example that comes to mind is technology…more broadly than that–products. Commodities. This pertains to MY senior thesis which I find to be quite intriguing, if I do say so myself. Marx believed that the production of products/objects was the pouring out of one’s humanity. However, he found that even though objects that we make are a part of us, we still become obsessed with them and think that they will somehow satisfy the deepest longings in our hearts–what Marx termed, the commodity of fetishism. The basic principle behind this notion is that we see the product outside of ourselves, not belonging to us at all. We fail to see ourselves within the product (the product is a mirror of ourselves in many ways) and view it as something that is foreign thus we pine/lust/desire to have it. The product winds up controlling us. We became slaves to inanimate objects and they, in turn, shape us.

If any of this makes sense and excites you, I know how you feel. This stuff gets me really excited. I’ve been labeled a “nerd” but I’m okay with that. Being able to see the world through a “new lens” is brilliant and provides a new set of challenges in trying to integrate it into your belief system, for me–my faith in God.

We digress….

We are products, in many ways, of our society. What does that mean for us as Americans? Well, it can be a bit scary, at times….

In this post I just wanted to inform you, if I could, about the theory of McDonaldization. This concept comes from George Ritzer who explains it as, “the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world.” These principles include efficiency, predictability, calculability (an emphasis on quantification), and control (esp. thru non-human technologies). Taken together, they constitute the formal rationality that undergirds McDonaldization.”

Why do so many prefer Starbucks when their local coffee shop is cheaper, closer, and easier to access? Why do people drive out of their way to get a Starbucks latte? What do they offer that other local coffee shops don’t?

Efficiency: Whether you are picking up your favorite coffee on your way to work via the drive-through or lounging with friends, your order is efficiently made. If it isn’t, they’ll re-make it for you until it is. Perfection.

Predictability & Control: a soy latte with no whip is the same at every Starbucks. Whether you’re jumping on a plane in Seattle, Washington or shopping in Manhattan, they offer the same quality service. In essence, you know what you’re getting.every.single.time.

Calculability:  Starbucks is able to make any drinks in mass. This is seen in their traveler’s coffee (serves up to 12 people) and the new via-to-go’s that “taste the same as the drip.”

What does all of this mean? You are a consumer by nature. Most prefer to consume Starbucks but I would contend they are not necessarily consuming the coffee as much as they are “the brand.” Perhaps their coffee is a bit better than some local coffee shops but not to the degree that people seemingly kill themselves for “a cup ‘o joe.”I don’t think people go to Starbucks for the coffee as much as it is for the experience. The  buzz. Everything that it encompasses–prestige, power, wealth…conformity. 

Am I going to judge you if you drink Starbucks? Nope. In fact, I am sipping on a pumpkin spiced latte as I write this.  It’s simply an observation.Without a doubt I will continue to consume Starbucks. However, let it be known that while many, including myself, are seemingly addicted to their “coffee” they are largely addicted to the ritual and experience that is attached to receiving it from a barista that sports a green apron and says, “Liv, your soy latte with no whip is ready for you at the bar.” You leave with the feeling like they know you and made that drink with purpose and sincerity and it leaves you coming back for more.

–from time to time I will write on different aspects of culture and the ways in which Sociologists view them. Would love to hear your thoughts…

Cheers,

-liv

For more info on this topic:

http://coolmarketingstuff.com/the-mcdonaldization-of-starbucks/

http://georgeritzer.com/