When you look at the structure of today's society, it is all too easy to see how the moral compass of human beings, as a whole, has been changing for quite some time. Instead we have replaced our moral compass with rules and regulations, accepting conformity as morality. In today's world you find your moral compass in the behaviors of those with whom you are in close relationships, and those people find theirs through similar means. Because of this, morality has become a rationalized addition to society's rules, resulting from the acceptance and encouragement of those around us. The rationalization of everyday life has brought morality into existence as a critical and rational calculation that has a negative impact on the social behavior of human beings. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay When you look at the rationalization of society; Two sociologists immediately come to mind. The first is Max Weber, who originally coined the term “The Iron Cage of Rationality.” He believed that humans must conform to rationalization to advance the world and maintain a steady progression in socialization. As Weber explains, “The destiny of our time is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world” (Weber). Max Weber was engaged in the study of causality, the probability that an event was followed by another event not necessarily of a similar nature. Beyond that, he also believed that social scientists should not let their personal values influence their scientific research. In this context Weber thought that sociology should be “value-free” (Weber). He believed in structuring society around these ideas, denigrating its internal moral compass, exchanging it for the cold side of rationality and rationalization of society. Weber also studied the levels at which rationality was implemented institutionally in modern industrialized societies. Primarily, the rationalization process is the practical application of knowledge to achieve a desired goal. It has been shown to lead to improved efficiency, coordination and control over what can be assumed to be the physical and social environment. However, beyond that, humans have begun to use this process in a selfish way, a means to figure out which alternative would most benefit their selfish needs as an end result. Rationalization is “the guiding principle behind bureaucracy and the increasing division of labor” (Folsom). It has led to “an unprecedented increase in the production of both goods and services” and “increased secularization, depersonalization and oppressive routine” (Elwell). The moral compass of establishment owners has been turned off towards many of their customers and employees. The company's structure has trained these managers to use rationalization as a moral compass, thus training them to be less comforting to employees and less trustworthy to customers. Like Weber, George Ritzer's theory of McDonaldization also deals with the "iron cage" of existence. . Instead of looking at the study of causality, Ritzer focuses more on the restrictions and need for regimental conformity and order imposed on society's workers. By using the name of this famous restaurant, Ritzer believes it possesses all the attributes that go along with his theory. By the mid-19th century, due to a combination of technological progress, widespread vehicle use, and the development of large new suburbs,.
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