The effects of
globalisation will result in the world becoming wedged between a bread bun and
cheese-coated garnish - was my cursory understanding of George Ritzer's vision
of a McDonaldized society. As panic spread across my face over the cosmological
effects of such a bizarre looking planet, I decided to forgo contemporary
reading habits and actually open the book – which got me thinking about a few
British high street staples, and how they are repainting the face of our urban
centres.
Last week I spoke to senior
executives at Southampton and Portsmouth
councils over their plans to beat the forces of globalisation by creating a
strong sub-regional economy. They had a strong case, but you shall have to pay
a small fee for a Sunday Telegraph and an www.ingeniousbritain.biz/magazineto read further. However, their very similar plans for the urban regeneration
of their respective town centres got me thinking on a different level.
Many town and city centres
in Britain
have undergone rapid transformation of late as local authorities try to reverse
consumer preferences for all things online. From my recent travels, Leeds,
Wrexham, Bangor , Ipswich, Wakefield
and Exeter are
all undergoing remarkably similar regenerations, looking to spruce-up their
urban offerings and get the centre buzzing once again.
But in order for these
projects to be financially viable they have to be public/ private sector-led,
which has created space for large high-street staples to spearhead the
revolution. Marks and Spencer's, John Lewis, Waitrose and Sainsbury's often
hold the prime locations in these stores, and their long-term commitment has
been made possible by fitting into what sociologist George Ritzer calls 'The
McDonaldization of Society'.
Contrary to what the name
suggests, McDonald's merely represents a wider contemporary paradigm in which
businesses are run with increased efficiency and calculability, and society
becomes more standardised and controlled.
In today's society, people
want the fastest route from being hungry to being full, from desire to
possession or whatever it may be. Companies that can satisfy the 'I want it
now' culture are destined to succeed on the high street, but they must also
have in place a corporate structure which lends itself to this type of
consumerism. This means acquiring a lot of a certain product and selling it for
a low price, employing a workforce that can deliver rather than please and
making sure that everything is accounted and calculated for within the
parameters of acceptable turnover.
Of the town regenerations I
listed above, an M&S, John Lewis or staple supermarket sits at the heart of
every one of them, and they will continue to do so into the future. The other
stores which make up this cultural abyss will be similarly generic – a cinema
(Vue, Cineworld), a fast food outlet (Nandos, Subway, McDonalds), a branded
store and a bar (Weatherspoons, Yates), become prominent features.
Is this damaging?
The process of
McDonaldization can be summarised as the way in which the principles of the
fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of British society
as well as of the rest of the world. McDonald's was one of the first, but a
number of firms are following in their wake ready to gobble up localities regardless
of country or culture.
This process is clearly
damaging to society. Wealth distribution is the main concern, but I ask; do we
really want to live in a country where every town looks the same?
Unfortunately, like the stranded Englishmen wondering the streets of Barcelona looking for an
Irish bar, my fear is that we actually do. Quantity is better than quality,
familiarity trumps the unknown and unless we are presented with a seamless path
from desire to possession, quite frankly, we don’t want to know. Once again, we
have forgotten the power of the majority.
By Jack Peat
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