Commercialization: A hatch in the sociological diagnosis of our time

Abstract

Max Weber feared a social future dominated by rational specialists “without spirit”. He considered this development as possible outcome of the interplay between all-embracing commercialization (marketization, monetization) with the rationalization (bureaucratization) of structures and processes in industrialized societies. Another observation of Weber concerned the ongoing replacement of medieval religious values with secularized-rationalist and profit-oriented ones. The predominance of such values usually fosters work productivity but also raises profound questions about the changing specifics of money. They have become central to the value systems at local, regional and global levels. Weber was pessimistic concerning the fate of commercialization. Edward A. Ross substantially contributed to the study of commercialization as part and parcel of his efforts to put a sociological diagnosis on American society after WWI. He selected and analysed a dozen of constructive and destructive cases of commercialization. Talcott Parsons studied the phenomenon in detail and called it “instrumental activism”. George Ritzer’s study on McDonaldization as rationalization process is an effort to put a sociological diagnosis on global society. There are open questions concerning the capacity of contemporary societies and individuals to manage innovations for coping with commercialization. The empirical reference for the discussion is SpaceX led by Elon Musk.