Practice Passage Test - 1 | Practice Passages for MCAT PDF Download

The rationalization of society can be understood as the pursuit of efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control through the utilization of technology. However, rational systems often give rise to unforeseen irrationalities that compromise or even undermine their own rationality.

Fast-food restaurants, which serve as a prime example of the rational model, offer the quickest way to satisfy hunger without surprises, at a low cost, in an atmosphere that resembles a carnival, suggesting an element of fun for consumers on each visit. The nutritional value of the food appears to be of little significance. In the past, people were willing to spend up to an hour preparing dinner, but now they expect a meal to be on the table within ten minutes. To discourage customers from lingering, some fast-food establishments intentionally use uncomfortable chairs that discourage extended stays.

Fast-food restaurants have traditionally preferred to hire adolescent workers, as this age group adapts more easily than adults to relinquishing autonomy to machines, rules, and procedures. The job requires minimal skills, which means employees are only utilizing a fraction of their abilities. This policy is irrational from an organizational perspective since they could obtain much more productivity from their employees, even considering the low wages. Additionally, these minimal skill demands are also irrational for the employees, as they are not encouraged to think critically or respond creatively to work demands.

These restrictions lead to high levels of resentment, job dissatisfaction, alienation, absenteeism, and turnover among fast-food workers. In fact, the fast-food industry experiences the highest turnover rate compared to any other industry in the United States. While the simplicity and repetitiveness of the work make it easy to replace departing employees, the organization would clearly benefit from retaining employees for longer periods. The costs of recruitment and training become significantly higher when turnover rates are exceptionally high.

The application of the rational model to the construction of houses in the 1950s and '60s resulted in suburban communities with nearly identical structures. One could enter someone else's residence without immediately realizing they were not at home. Although more expensive developments appeared superficially diverse, their interior layouts assumed residents with identical requirements.

Furthermore, the planned communities themselves exhibit great similarity. Existing trees are removed to facilitate construction, replaced by saplings supported by posts and wire. Streets are laid out in symmetrical grid patterns. Such uniformity makes it possible for suburban residents to enter the wrong subdivision or become disoriented in their own neighborhood.

Many of Steven Spielberg's films are set in these suburbs. Spielberg's strategy is to draw viewers into this highly repetitive world and then introduce a completely unexpected event. For example, the film "Poltergeist" takes place in a conventional suburban household where evil spirits disrupt the monotony. (The spirits first manifest themselves through another key element of homogeneous society—the television set.) The significant success of Spielberg's films may be attributed to a longing for unpredictability, even if it takes on bizarre and menacing forms, in increasingly routine lives.