Enchanting a Disenchanted World: Continuity and Change in the Cathedrals of Consumption - Softcover

Ritzer, George

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1412975816 ISBN 13: 9781412975810

Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc, 2009

Synopsis

The only book to connect the everyday world of the 20-something undergraduate consumer with sound sociological analysis of the world of consumption

Enchanting a Disenchanted World, Third Edition examines Disney, malls, cruise lines, Las Vegas, the world wide web, Planet Hollywood, credit cards, and all the other ways we now consume. Thoroughly updated to reflect the recent economic recession and the impact of the internet, bestselling author George Ritzer continues to explore this book′s central thesis: that our society has undergone fundamental change because of the way and the level at which we consume.

This Third Edition demonstrates how we have created new "cathedrals" of consumption (places that enchant us so as to entice us to stay longer and consume more) while continuing to take capitalism to a new level. These places of consumption, whether in our homes, the mall, or cyberspace, are in a constant state of "enchanting the disenchanted," luring us through new spectacles because their rational qualities are both necessary and deadening at the same time.

New and Hallmark Features

• Offers a unique analysis of the world of consumption, especially the settings in which consumption takes place
• Discusses the recent global economic recession throughout
• Offers rich details on consuming in such places as Las Vegas, Disney World, on cruise ships, in Wal-Mart, at McDonald′s, and, new to this edition, on the Web
• Includes a wide range of theoretical perspectives―Marxian, Weberian, critical theory, postmodern theory―as well as a number of concepts such as hyperconsumption, implosion, simulation, and time and space to show students how sociological theory can be applied to everyday phenomena

About this title

About the Author

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.

Review

"I like the fact that the book is relatively even-handed - appreciating spectacle even while forcing students to question critically the effects of consumption in their lives and those of their fellow citizens."

(Gary Alan Fine 2004-05-07)

"Enchanting a Disenchanted World is a tour de force. Drawing upon a rich array of examples, George Ritzer provides an original and insightful analysis of the new means of consumption and how they are transforming our lives. . . . Analytically crisp, jargon free, and packed with fresh illustrations, Enchanting a Disenchanted World is equally effective as an engaging read for specialists and a lucid text for classroom use. Highly recommended to scholars and students."

(Kevin Fox Gotham 2004-05-07)

"I think this is a great book! I have enjoyed working with it, and so have my students. . . . I especially like the chapters that deal with social theory. These chapters are very effective in presenting social theory to students, as they contain very clear and straightforward explanations of the ideas of otherwise very complex and difficult social theorists."

(Ann Branaman 2004-05-07)

"I think this is a good undergraduate text which can engage students in lively discussions of many recent trends in consumer culture."

(Katya Makarova 2004-05-07)

Edition details

• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1412975816
• ISBN 13: 9781412975810
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 272