In sociology, rationalization refers to as the substitution of traditional customs, emotions, and values as behavior motivators in the society with concepts founded on reason and rationality (Cherepanov et al., 2013). Types of rationality include; practical rationality which involves deciding on the best way to achieve predetermined results systematically. Theoretical rationality requires comprehension of the way things are through abstraction. Substantive rationality consists of making your actions parallel to corporate values. Finally, the formal rationality which entails making choices basing on the universal societal social structure, rules and regulations. The concept of rationalization of the society was put forward by the famous sociologist, Max Weber. In simple terms, rationalization is an outcome of technological advances and scientific study in western part of the world. Rationalization in the modern society is characterized by predictability, calculability, efficiency (much results with minimal efforts), and dehumanization. As a result of rationalization, there is less hold to traditional customs and values and human character guided by reason and practicality (Weber, 2013). It has also led to capitalism and transformation of the modern society. This paper is a discussion of causes and consequences of rationalization of the contemporary society according to Max Weber.
Rationalization
Weber’s works focuses on rationalization in government, behavior, organizational theory and religion sociology. The whole process of rationalization impacts religion, law, administration, and economic life. In the long run, rationalization jails the individual in the “iron cage” of rationalized activities, organizations, and institutions (Weber, 2013). In the modern world, rationalization is used to provide excuses or justifications for a person’s actions. In sociology according to Weber rationalization was used in two ways; first, it means the process by which religious ideas, supernatural and magic lose cultural significance in a society and ideologies based on practical calculation and scientific studies gain dominance. Rationalization also entails developing forms of social organization with the aim of achieving specific goals by possible efficient means. The kind of rationalization is familiar with the development of bureaucracy and modern business organizations. The Organizations determined to pursue their goals by systematically, calculated means (Gane, 2002). The second way, it is used to provide excuses or justification for a person’s action in the contemporary society. The leading causes of rationalization in the modern community according to Weber are a political and legal institution and current capitalism developments.
Causes of Rationalization in the Modern Society
Modern Capitalism
According to Weber, modern capitalism entailed rational organization systemic pursuing of profit, modern economic spirit or ethos and free labor incarnated in protestant ethic. Weber believed that rationalization meant systemizing one’s actions to conform to religious values to express strictness and method and a nurturing status. The aim of protestant theologies diverted towards rational ways gaining economically to deal with salvation anxiety (Weber, 2013). The rationality impact of the doctrine soon became incongruent with its religious roots which eventually faded. Moving towards rationalization was inescapable.
Political and Legal Institution
Weber believed that moving towards rational-legal authority was something inevitable. In charismatic authority, the power of the administration is brought to an end by the death of their leader (Meyer and Rowan, 1977). A rationalized and bureaucratic base remains the only option by which authority can be succeeded to another person. The rational legal base strategy is adopted by the traditional powers that reside in rationalized societies, to guarantee a stable accession. Therefore, it depicted both developments of modern communities and secularization of western culture. The current societal structures were marked by the difference in two functionally interacting systems that took shape relating to organizational cores of bureaucratic state and capitalist interest. The process is well understood as the institutionalization of administrative and purposive-rational economic actions. In traditional leadership systems, the tribal chief or a queen was in governorship whereas in contemporary societies operation is by rational-legal systems (Gordon et al., 1987). For instance, democratic approaches are used to counter qualitative concerns such as racial discrimination using rationalized quantitative criteria such as civil rights legislation.
Consequences of Rationalization of Modern Society
According to Weber, rationalization provides a good understanding of the occident’s capitalist corporate and how it influences an individual (Weber, 2013). Despite that rationalization yields numerous credits regarding best reasoning, rational calculation, and efficiency, it bears its consequences. These consequences constitute both the positive and negative ones.
The Lessened Grip of Cultural Customs, Beliefs, and Values
First and foremost, rationalization process has resulted in the loss of cultural values in public life that was once encapsulated in the ethical/religious context. As a result, the cultural values are fragmented. The values are separated and become incongruent from each other, thus petrifying cultural norms and turning people into an “iron cage.” The people have entrapped themselves (Weber, 2013). Human-made society organizations are gaining dominance over their creator. The control of magical powers was also destructed. People no longer reason based on their belief, values, feelings, and customs but rather according to calculations and abstractions. For instance, science in the modern society has hugely rationalized our knowledge of weather patterns (Moore, 1993). Science explains it as an outcome of an interaction between physical elements such as direction and wind-speed, air and humidity, temperatures, etc. basing on the cultural belief weather is an expression of gratitude or displeasure of the gods or ancestral spirits.
The Relationship between Bureaucracy and Rationalization
Weber says, “It is horrible to think that the world could one day be filled with nothing but those little cogs, little men clinging to little jobs and striving towards bigger ones.” Bureaucracy is referred to as a rationally designed model to perform tasks in a given organization efficiently (Udy Jr, 1959). It requires the optimal organization of hierarchical networks and sound structure to run a large organization smoothly. For instance, the occident capitalist societies. Rationalization provides a conducive environment for a bureaucracy to operate efficiently. Some of the shortcomings associated with rational administration include;
Dehumanization-people becomes alienated from their works. Cultural values are substituted with efficiency, sympathy with reason, and emotion with rational calculation. Bringing into existence machine-like regulation of bureaucracy has challenged all systems of belief. With rationalization, essential systems are no longer secured by the authority. There is entirely no conformity of traditional powers and charismatic with rational-authority norms. Human beings are dehumanized; their dignity lost too. People have become abstractions, numbers, and cogs instead of feeling and living beings (Wintrobe, 1997).
Inefficiency- a man has created machines which have come to replace their roles in life rendering themselves slaves to their devices. Animate machines are currently equivalent to inanimate factory machines thus fabricating the bondage shell encapsulating the modern worker (Wood and Waterman, 1994). The devices have been much harnessed through the incorporation of computers to administrative settings. The man’s rationality constituted the machines and eventually, their convergence was a possible outcome.
Inertia- is where the bureaucratic organizations are striving to preserve themselves from extinction. Also, with rational bureaucracy, there is oligarchy way of the ruling of many by few. Oligarchy hidden in bureaucratic structure has reduced accountability of leaders/officials in authority to the people (Wood and Waterman, 1994). As a result of rationalization, the decisions made are devoid of sympathy, empathy, and emotions.
Capitalism led to the destruction of securities of belief what he termed as “the garden of enchantment.” It also resulted in disruption of the natural and peaceful rhythms of traditional ways of production and consumption in the pre-modern household (Gane, 2002).
Loss of Freedom
A computer information system which covers all people in a nation-state and the regulation and control of the human scientific genetic material is as a result of rationalization. Rationality is not only a principle constituted in the legislative enactment to grounds for particular laws but also a topic of legislation. For instance, with the data protection act, their prime concern is the provision of a regulatory machine that can develop its procedures, and for case arguing for some regulation of all sorts. The act provides many exceptions to its rules (Meyer and Rowan, 1977). For instance, the minister may free people from their provisions and safeguard the law in matters of national security, during detection or prevention of crimes grants exemption from both non-disclosure and subject-access requirements.
Universal Understanding
Rationalizing institutions opens a possibility and an opportunity for global recognition through universal access to the ways of understanding. The universal understanding can be attained through educational provision. Thus, the technique provides a predictable conducive environment for a person’s decision-making and thus enhancing the individual’s scope for action on the citizen part (Weber, 2013).
Consumption
Traditionally, food preparation is technically inefficient and much laborious, but with the modern society, food is quickly prepared, preserved and delivered in the fastest way possible. The aspect has been achieved through; installation of more straightforward and time-saving systems, strict control of workers’ actions, and simpler active numbered systems of value meals. The factors aim at making an optimal profit with minimal efforts or expenses.
Commercialization
Just as capitalism is a rational economic policy, so is commercialization process; it incorporates utility to increase sales. For instance, most holidays were made from the celebration of the ancient event or a religious context religious. Nonetheless, traditional values in rationalized societies are greatly diminishing, and the aim was shifting from qualitative (meaning-based) to quantitative goal (aiming at increasing sales) (Weber, 1978). In the US holidays are demonstrated by secularized figures that serve as a corporate emblem. In traditional environments, most gifts are usually hand-crafted works bearing a symbolic meaning. In rationalized societies, the value of a gift is determined by objective measures, like monetary value rather than subjective criteria, that is, symbolism.
Conclusion
From the discussion, rationalization is the chief problem in the contemporary society. A step to progress and action to regression at the same time. A well-organized hierarchical structure in a given society is a fundamental requirement for large and advanced western, capitalist societies. The bureaucratic societal system has resulted into the predictability of results, and calculability of affairs across the world. However, rationalization has led to lessened grip on cultural values, depersonalization, and dehumanization. From Weber’s theory, it implies that even in the seeds of rationality there is irrationality, they are directly proportional to one another.
References
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