Rationalization, Bureaucratization And Standardization Of American Culture
When we analyze the aspect of culture today we will realize that it has undergone many changes that led to the shift from the traditional and religious values to culture that preaches impersonal capitalism. The culture that has developed is a culture that has changed from societal rationality to personal rationality. These changes have seen many changes in social, political, and economic structures of America. All the traditional values have been abandoned and the religious values have changed overtime. This has been replaced by the culture of individualism and modern capitalism. The meaning of what is called values is currently described in terms of personal rationality. These structures were initially meant to create order in the society and make people more productive, but when observe these aspects today we realize that they have great impacts in the individuals social life. In this paper I will analyze the concepts of rationalization, Bureaucratization, and standardization in the American culture as well as their impacts in the social life of individuals.
Rationalization of American Culture
According to Hamilton (172) Rationalization is the process where the values of a community are devalued which results in the development of impersonal culture. He says there is change in human values and people are treated as instruments to achieve a particular goal. Looking at the American society today we will realize that the society values have degenerated and the religious values have undergone complete transformation. There is the development of modern capitalism where each individual thinks about himself and not the community. The social order has changed such that the social kind of lifestyle has changed and it has been replaced by formal kind of lifestyle.
Looking at the modern leadership and the national decision making process we realize it has abandoned the importance of the societal values but it has turned to the rational thinking. Decisions are made in terms of cost benefits analysis without the consideration of the society moral obligation. Individuals are applying the aspect rationality even in the matters that requires the evaluation of our belief and community values. When we observe the religion practices today we realize many people are becoming pagans and basing their beliefs on rationality of what they can see and experience.
Looking at the social life in America we realize that people are becoming more personal and the social gathering are diminishing from the people life. The people today spend most of the time in offices or alone reducing the rate of personal interaction significantly. The family ties are degenerating day by day, today you find the attachment of family members is not considered important but what is considered important is what one can offer to the other person.
Bureaucratization of American Culture
According to Weber, bureaucracy was meant to create order in the organization and set the rules to guide the operation of the organization. Weber said that bureaucracy cannot be separated with rationality. Looking at the American culture we realize that the human life is being controlled by rules and structures in leadership, Community, and organizations. The current culture in the American society is where people are controlled by rules and regulations such that an individual acts as if they are programmed (Turner 128).
When we observe the kind of laws that the country is operating under we will realize that it is supreme, so it decides what is legal and what is illegal to an individual. This has made the life of individuals to be controlled by rules in each aspect of their lives. We realize before an individual joins any given organization the first thing they consider is the legality of that particular activity. This culture has been extended even in the social gathering such that before anything is done the rules of the game must first be set (Stephen 4).
Decision making in the American culture is structured and governed by rules and regulations. Before the government officials or political leaders decide to do anything they have first to consider the law standing of the decision to be made even before they can consider the moral standing of the same. This has led to development of bureaucratic structures in every aspect of peoples lives. The issue of bureaucracy has penetrated in all the aspects of human life including religion thus complicating life further instead of making it simple. The structure of religion today has become controlled by time and rational aspect of bureaucracy (Sica 100).
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