The book that made "McDonaldization" part of the lexicon of contemporary sociological theory, read by hundreds of thousands of students, is now in its Ninth Edition! George Ritzer's seminal work of critical sociology, The McDonaldization of Society, continues to stand as one of the pillars of modern day sociological thought. Building on the argument that that the fast food restaurant has become the model for the rationalization process today, this book links theory to contemporary life in a globalized world and resonates with students in a way that few other books do. Ritzer opens students’ eyes to many current issues and shows how McDonaldization’s principles apply to other settings, especially in the areas of consumption and globalization. Through vivid story-telling prose, Ritzer provides an insightful introduction to this fascinating topic and aids students' critical development. This new edition has been fully updated to include a new focus on McDonaldization in the digital world.

Latest update of this internationally popular anthology from George Ritzer.

As one of the most noteworthy and popular sociology books of all time, The McDonaldization of Society 6 demonstrates the power of the sociological imagination to 21st century undergraduates in a way that few other books have. This engaging work of social criticism is praised for sparking debate in and out of the classroom and for allowing students to read in depth on a small number of fascinating topics, and it vividly demonstrates the relevance of Weber's discussion of rationalization (the basis of McDonaldization) to the everyday life of today's student. New and Retained Features: e Links a large number of social phenomena to McDonaldization, some which are directly impacted by the principles of the fast-food chain and others where the effect is more tenuous e A new final chapter (10) on 'The DeMcDonaldization of Society?' examines the processes of deMcDonaldization and concludes that while it is occurring on the surface, McDonaldization is alive and well for example, in the structures that underlie Web 2.0+ Many new and updated examples are from the digital world, keeping the text ultimately relevant for the contemporary student reader e Addresses the advantages of McDonaldization, then focuses on the problems and dangers it poses and looks at efforts to deal with those challenges e Examines the link between McDonaldization and globalization e Challenges the reader to rethink McDonaldization as part of the structure of society and to act to reverse the trend towards it

In this major new book, the author of the bestselling McDonaldization of Society provides an exploration of one of the most innovative and imaginative sociological theses of the last decade of the twentieth century - `McDonaldization'. Part One centres on a discussion of Karl Mannheim's theory of rationalization. The author also assesses the degree to which sociology in general and sociological theory in particular have been `McDonaldized'. The second part demonstrates the empirical reach of the `McDonaldization' process with discussions on work, credit and globalization. Part Three moves beyond `McDonaldization' to the worlds of `new means of consumption' and the postmodern perspectives that best illuminate them. The author

George Ritzer's McDonaldization thesis argued that contemporary life is succumbing to the standardization, flexibility and practicability of fast-food service. This book brings together specially commissioned papers by leading social and cultural analysts to engage in a critical appraisal of the thesis. The contributors discuss the roots of the thesis, the rationalization of late modern life, the effects of increasing cultural commodification, the continuing prominence of American cultural and economic imperialism and the impact of globalization on social and cultural life. The strengths and weaknesses of the McDonaldization thesis are clearly evaluated and the irrational consequences of rationalization are pinpointed and critically

Beyond McDonaldization provides new concepts of higher education for the twenty-first century in a unique manner, challenging much that is written in mainstream texts. This book undertakes a reassessment of the growth of McDonaldization in higher education by exploring how the application of Ritzer’s four features efficiency, predictability, calculability and control has become commonplace. This wide-ranging text discusses arguments surrounding the industrialisation of higher education, with case studies and contributions from a wide range of international authors. Written in an accessible style, Beyond McDonaldization examines questions such as: Can we regain academic freedom whilst challenging the McDonaldization of thought and ideas? Is a McDonaldization of every aspect of academic life inevitable? Will the new focus on student experience damage young people? Why is a McDonaldized education living on borrowed time? Is it possible to recreate the university of the past or must we start anew? Does this industrialisation meet the educational needs of developing economies? This book brings international discussions on the changing world of higher education and the theory of McDonaldization together, seeking to provide a positive future vision of higher education. Analysing and situating the discussion of higher education within a wider social, political and cultural context, this ground-breaking text will have a popular appeal with students, academics and educationalists.

Essay from the year 2015 in the subject Sociology - Individual, Groups, Society, grade: 1,3, University of Siegen, course: World Society, World Culture and World Politics, language: English, abstract: McDonaldized products are highly standardized and quantity is generally more important than quality. This leads to a competitive advantage towards other systems. Of course, not only food can be produced following those principles mentioned above. Everything can be McDonaldized, education, health care, music, etc. and the trend is expanding (Ritzer, Stillman 2003, p.34). But McDonaldization has limits and although the concept sounds menacing, it is not the end of diversity. McDonaldized systems can be influenced locally and they can change over time, too (Ritzer, Stillman 2003, p.39). As a global restaurant, McDonald's has quickly adapted to local needs: In India, the company sells primarily lamb and chicken meat, and pork is not on the menu in Muslim countries. Actually they created a Nürnburger especially for German restaurants. Other global players like Hollywood studios and broadcast networks also adapt to localities, and create special content for different markets (Robertson 1995, p.38). So how can McDonald’s and the like homogenize the world, when they are changing themselves because of various local preferences?

"...this book can be recommended to journalism students as a useful entry point into many of the debates surrounding 21st century journalism, and as a way of encouraging thought about what, indeed, a journalist may be." Tony Harcup, University of Sheffield What are the key issues confronting journalism today, and why? What are the important debates regarding the forms and practices of reporting? How can the quality of news be improved? Journalism: Critical Issues explores essential themes in news and journalism studies. It bringstogether an exciting selection of original essays which engage with the most significant topics,debates and controversies in this fast-growing field.Using a wide range of case studies, topics include: Journalism’s role in a democracy Source dynamics in news production Journalism ethics Sexism and racism in the news Tabloidization, scandals and celebrity Reporting conflict, terrorism and war The future of investigative journalism The book is written in a lively manner designed to invite discussion by identifying key questionsaround a critical issue. Each chapter assesses where journalism is today, its strengths and itschallenges, and highlights ways to improve upon it for tomorrow. Journalism: Critical Issues is essential reading for students and researchers in the fields ofnews and journalism, media studies, cultural studies, sociology and communication studies. Contributors: Stuart Allan, Alison Anderson, Olga Guedes Bailey, Steven Barnett,Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Michael Bromley, Cynthia Carter, Simon Cottle, Chas Critcher,Matthew David, Máire Messenger Davies, Bob Franklin, Robert A. Hackett, RamaswamiHarindranath, Ian Hutchby, Richard Keeble, Justin Lewis, Minelle Mahtani, P. David Marshall,Brian McNair, Martin Montgomery, Alan Petersen, Susanna Hornig Priest, Jane Rhodes,Karen Ross, David Rowe, Prasun Sonwalkar, Linda Steiner, Howard Tumber, Ingrid Volkmer,Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, Barbie Zelizer.

Describing the field, spanning individual, organisation societal and cultural perspectives in a cross-disciplinary manner, this is the premier reference tool for students lecturers, academics and practitioners to gather knowledge about a range of important topics from the perspective of organisation studies.

This fascinating anthology collects together a wide range of writings on the application of McDonaldization to areas of the social world, including: the church, state, theme parks, mountain climbing, the sex industry, the family, the police, the university, and the Internet. The Reader also demonstrates the ways in which McDonaldization is affecting cultures around the world, the ways in which it does or does not adapt to other cultures, and various social movements that have emerged around the world in opposition to McDonaldization. The collection benefits from a new essay by George Ritzer on the future of McDonaldization.