'This is an important book. Its wide recognition is well deserved. Its central strength is the clarity and brevity with which it makes accessible an extraordinarily important and complex process shaping the postmodern world.' - Peter Hoffman, Loyola Marymount University
'I love this book; it is a contemporary classic. . . . I would certainly use this book in an undergraduate theory course.' - Philip Cohen, University of California, Irvine
One of the most popular sociology books of all time has been thoroughly updated to examine how McDonaldization has roared into the 21st century. The McDonaldization of Society: Revised New Century Edition, discusses how McDonaldization and the broader process of globalization (in a new Chapter 8), are spreading more widely and more deeply into various social institutions such as education, medicine, the criminal justice system, and more.
This Revised New Century Edition provides many new, relevant examples from recent events and contemporary popular culture, including the ever-increasing global proliferation of McDonald's and other fast food franchises, shopping malls, and similar commercial entities. Their impact is examined in the post-September 11, 2001 era.
The McDonaldization of Society is ideal for use in a wide range of higher-education courses and will be of equal interest to anyone interested in social criticism. The book offers readers new insight into the society they are constructing around them.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
"The book provides a theoretical and analytical framework that both reflects reality and helps college students understand the reality of the world in which they grew up, live in, and are likely to continue to experience not only in the United States but throughout the world." -- Celestino Fernandez "I love this book; it is a
contemporary classic. . . . I would certainly use this book in an undergraduate
theory course."
-- Philip Cohen "From my viewpoint, what I need is a
book that spurs debate and stimulates critical thinking among my students,
particularly on the societal consequences of rationalization. Ritzer's book does exactly this. The strengths of the book
are its connection to "real life" as well as the possibility of using it as a
platform for discussing business practices seen from the viewpoint of citizens,
rather than managers. . . . I would surely adopt its new edition and use it in
a wide range of courses."
-- Angelo Fanelli "I use this book in an introductory
level social problems and public policy course. The book is also used in my
department in many sections of introduction to sociology. It works well in
introductory level courses. . . . It is a good book and has been a great
teaching tool. I find the book helps students to see rationalized environments
where they could not see them before. Vision is a good thing.
. . the book still has a long shelf life ahead."
-- Kurt F. Cylke "This is an important book. Its wide recognition is well deserved. Its central strength is the clarity and brevity with which it makes accessible an extraordinarily important and complex process shaping the postmodern world."
-- Peter Hoffman "I am impressed with the amount of
examples the author has gathered from around the world for the book. Examples
are current, interesting, and illustrative. They mesh well with the text and
help enormously in explicating complex processes underlying McDonaldization."
-- Victor Shaw "I have enjoyed using this book. I
recommend it to other education professionals and, on occasion, have given
copies of this book to friends and relatives as gifts. The strengths are
obvious."
-- Douglas Adams "The opening
chapters are very strong. I very much like the way Weber's ideas are brought to
life. . . . This is such a good opportunity to bring more theory into awareness
for students. . . . It is very engaging and brings the reader into the content
in a wonderful way." -- Linda Morrison "This well-written title is a theoretically based work in social criticism. . . . McDonald's and its clones have created a positive public image, but Ritzer gives the public discourse a little balance by focusing on the problems created, and the dangers posed, by the process. . . . Ritzer asks: "Does it all amount to . . . Nothing?" (cf. his Globalization of Nothing, 2004). The last chapter on dealing with McDonaldization is thought-provoking. . . . Highly recommended." * CHOICE *
Auflage
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Editions-Typ
Maße
Höhe: 229 mm
Breite: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-7619-8811-3 (9780761988113)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
George Ritzer is Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, where he has also been a Distinguished Scholar-Teacher and won a Teaching Excellence Award. He was awarded the Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award by the American Sociological Association, an honorary doctorate from LaTrobe University in Australia, and the Robin Williams Lectureship from the Eastern Sociological Society. His best-known work, The McDonaldization of Society (8th ed.), has been read by hundreds of thousands of students over two decades and translated into over a dozen languages. Ritzer is also the editor of McDonaldization: The Reader; and author of other works of critical sociology related to the McDonaldization thesis, including Enchanting a Disenchanted World, The Globalization of Nothing, Expressing America: A Critique of the Global Credit Card Society, as well as a series best-selling social theory textbooks and Globalization: A Basic Text. He is the Editor of the Encyclopedia of Social Theory (2 vols.), the Encyclopedia of Sociology (11 vols.; 2nd edition forthcoming), the Encyclopedia of Globalization (5 vols.), and is Founding Editor of the Journal of Consumer Culture. In 2016 he will publish the second edition of Essentials of Sociology with SAGE.
Preface
1. An Introduction to McDonaldization
McDonalds as a Global Icon
The Long Arm of McDonaldization
The Dimensions of McDonaldization
The Advantages of McDonaldization
A Critique of McDonaldization: The Irrationality of Rationality
What Isn't McDonaldized
McDonald's Troubles: Implications for McDonaldization
A Look Ahead
2. McDonaldization and Its Precursors: From the Iron Cage to the Fast-Food Industry
Bureaucratization: Making Life More Rational
The Holocaust: Mass-Produced Death
Scientific Management: Finding the One Best Way
The Assembly Line: Turning Workers Into Robots
Levittown: Putting Up Houses - "Boom, Boom, Boom"
Shopping Centers: Malling America
McDonald's: Creating the "Fast-Food Factory"
Conclusion
3. Efficiency: Drive-Throughs and Finger Foods
Streamlining the Process
Simplifying the Product
Putting Customers to Work
Conclusion
4. Calculability: Big Macs and Little Chips
Emphasizing Quantity Rather Than Quality of Products
Giving the Illusion of Quantity
Reducing Production and Service to Number
Conclusion
5. Predictability: It Never Rains on Those Little Houses on the Hillside
Creating Predictable Settings
Scripting Ineraction With Customers
Making Employee Behavior Predictable
Creating Predictable Products and Processes
Minimizing Danger and Unpleasantness
Conclusion
6. Control: Human and Nonhuman Robots
Controlling Employees
Controlling Customers
Controlling the Process and the Product
The Ultimate Experience of Control? Birth and Death
Conclusion
7. The Irrationality of Rationality: Traffic Jams on Those "Happy Trails"
Inefficiency: Long Lines at the Checkout
High Cost: Better Off at Home
The Illusion of Fun: Ha, Ha, the Stock Market Just Crashed
The Illusion of Reality: Even the "Singers" Aren't Real
False Friendliness: "Hi, George"
Disenchantment: Where's the Magic
Health and Environmental Hazards: Even Your Pets Are at Risk
Homogenization: It's No Different in Paris
Dehumanization: Getting Hosed at "Trough and Brew"
Conclusion
8. Globalization and McDonaldization: Does It All Amount to... Nothing?
Globalization
McDonaldization and Grobalization
Nothing-Somthing and McDonaldization
Nothing-Something and Grobalization-Glocalization
The Case for McDonaldization as an Example of the Glocalization of Something
The Case for McDonaldization as an Example of the Grobalization of Nothing
Conclusion
9. McDonaldization in a Changing World: Are There Any Limits?
The Forces Driving McDonaldization: It Pays, We Value It, It Fits
Other Major Social Changes: McDonaldization in the Era of the "Posts"
Are There Any Limits to the Expansion of McDonaldization?
Looking to the Future: De-McDonaldization?
Conclusion
10. Dealing With McDonaldization: A Practical Guide
Creating "Reasonable" Alternatives: Sometimes You Really Do Have to Break the Rules
Fighting Back Collectively: Saving Hearts, Minds, Taste Buds, and the Piazza di Spagna
Coping Individually: " Skunk Works," Blindfolded Children, and Fantasy Worlds
Conclusion
Index
About the Author
