The McDonaldization of Society

by Ritzer, George

• ISBN13: 9780761988120
• ISBN10: 0761988122
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-02-01
• Publisher: Pine Forge Press

Summary

'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.

Table of Contents

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