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

The author is a proud sponsor of the 2020 SAGE Keith Roberts Teaching Innovations Award—enabling graduate students and early career faculty to attend the annual ASA pre-conference teaching and learning workshop. 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 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. This new edition has been significantly reoriented to reflect our experience of McDonaldization in the world of online consumption. New to this Edition Examines how retailers like Amazon represent a new era of "datafication," the transformation of vast amounts of information into quantifiable data. Discusses how the digital world has almost unlimited potential to turn consumers into "prosumers" doing volunteer work formerly done by paid employees. This edition is more streamlined than previous editions to sharpen its argument and message, and make it more useable as a secondary reading in a wide range of courses

The fast-food business, most notably McDonalds, revolutionised not only the restaurant business but also American society and ultimately, the world. Using the model of McDonalds, the author draws on the theories of Weber to produce a social critique.

Latest update of this internationally popular anthology from George Ritzer.

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

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.

The third edition of this popular reader reflects considerable changes. The framework for understanding theory as a set of conversations over time is maintained and deepened, pairing classical with contemporary readings to illustrate the ways in which theory continues to be reinterpreted over time. Volume I has been completely reorganized, with new contextual and biographical materials surrounding the primary readings, and end-of-chapter study guides that include key terms, discussion questions, and innovative classroom exercises. The result is a fresh and expansive take on social theory that foregrounds a plurality of perspectives and reflects contemporary trends in the field, while being an accessible and manageable teaching tool.

The organization of this popular social theory reader, which pairs classical articles with contemporary theoretical and empirical studies, highlights the historical flow of social theory and demonstrates how disagreements and confrontations shape theory over time. Written in clear, down-to-earth language, the introductions to each selection link theorists to one another, illustrating how theoretical traditions are not rigidly separate but are always in conversation, addressing and challenging each other. The third edition incorporates significant changes: more readings reflecting a wide diversity of theorists, a completely revamped chapter on gender, new chapters on race and culture, and unique material on the "transitional giants" who have helped to transform classical theory into contemporary theory. As well, new contextual and biographical materials surround each reading and each chapter includes a study guide with key terms and innovative discussion questions and classroom exercises. The result is a fresh take on social theory that foregrounds a plurality of perspectives and reflects contemporary trends in the field, while still managing to be a teachable and affordable text.

George Ritzer is one of the leading social and cultural commentators of the present day. In this essential new book he considers some of the main tendencies in contemporary social theory. Included here are Ritzer′s latest reflections on the uses and misuses of metatheory. According to Ritzer, sociology is a multiparadigm science. The differences and intensities of rivalries between paradigms are often very confusing for students and even for professional sociologists. This book seeks to find a way out of the confusion by sketching out the lineaments of a new integrated sociological paradigm and demonstrates how this paradigm can be applied. It shows the various ways in which Ritzer has developed rationalization theory to shed light on professional integration, the shape of consumer culture, hyperrationality and the state of sociology today.

Inspire your students to develop their sociological imaginations in Our Social World. Focused on deep learning rather than memorization, this book encourages readers to analyze, evaluate, and apply information about the social world; to see the connection between the world and personal events from a new perspective; and to confront sociological issues on a day-to-day basis. Organized around the "Social World Model”, a conceptual framework used across chapters to see the complex links between various micro- to macro-levels of the social system, students will develop the practice of using three levels of analysis, and to view sociology as an integrated whole, rather than a set of discrete subjects.