The McDonaldization of Society
by George Ritzer
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The McDonaldization of Society is George Ritzer's seminal work of critical sociology that links classical sociological theory to many aspects of contemporary life in a globalized world--Max Weber's rationalization thesis updated and applied to the late 20th and early 21st century. Where Weber focused on bureaucracies as the "iron cages" of rationalization in his time, the central premise of McDonaldization is that the fast food restaurant has become the model for the rationalization process show more today. The book examines ways in which fast food businesses have created a system of operation based on efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control; and how the same principles have been applied to other settings and contexts as diverse as motel chains, "big box" stores, churches, child care centers, college rankings, health care providers, the Internet, and political participation. The author also looks at attempts to resist and reverse the effects of McDonalization. "McDonalization" has become part of the lexicon of contemporary sociological theory, and the book has been widely adopted and read for over twenty years by hundreds of thousands of students in a wide variety of courses, including many courses created specifically to explore the phenomena of McDonaldization. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
A lucid look at the current state of America in the world, and the changes that the "American Dream" are making not only across our own landscape, but internationally. The author explores a trend he refers to as "McDonaldization", the tendency to have a less permanent, less connected, more disposable world.
A look at how the relentless pursuit of efficiency can become dehumanizing. Worth a read.
An interesting point regarding the standardization of products and services do the point of sameness and less then the best quality. The author is biased by appearing to be opposed to anything that is not handcrafted and is against anything that is mass produced.
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73+ Works 1,663 Members
George Ritzer's seminal work of critical sociology, The McDonaldization of Society, continues to stand as one of the pillars of modern 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. Ritzer show more opens our eyes to many current issues and shows how McDonaldization's principles-efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control-have been applied to other sectors of American society and throughout the world. This new edition continues to shift its focus to how we experience McDonaldization on the internet, the new locus of production and consumption in the digital age. It also includes sonic early insights into our attempts to impose rationality on the COVID-19 pandemic. show less
Awards and Honors
Awards
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The McDonaldization of Society
- Original publication date
- 2000
- Dedication
- To Alan Ritzer, who helped open my eyes to McDonaldization, and to Paul O'Connell, whose gentleness and Shavian wit were inspirations for this book.
Classifications
- Genres
- Sociology, Nonfiction, Economics, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 306.0973 — Society, government, & culture Social sciences, sociology & anthropology Social Behavior - Dating, Marriage, Divorce Social history North America United States
- LCC
- HM706 .R58 — Social sciences Sociology (General) Sociology Social structure
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 642
- Popularity
- 44,965
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.77)
- Languages
- 9 — Chinese, Czech, Danish, English, German, Italian, Polish, Croatian, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 35
- ASINs
- 7
