Summary
Contents
Subject index
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
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Intended Audience
Enchanting in a Disenchanted World, Third Edition brings life to a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses, including Introductory Sociology, Social Problems, Sociological Theory, Economic Sociology, Sociology of Culture, and the Sociology of Consumption.
Landscapes of Consumption
Landscapes of Consumption
- On Social Geography and Landscapes 155
- Landscapes of Consumption 159
- The Changing Nature of the Landscapes of Consumption 160
- Seemingly Minor Changes in a Landscape of Consumption: Milan, Italy 160
- New (but Threatened) Landscapes of Consumption: Easton Town Center, Ohio; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Cotai Strip, Macau, China 165
- A Landscape of Consumption in Decline: Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 176
- Conclusion 185
To this point, we have focused on individual cathedrals of consumption, but it is also important to adopt a larger scale perspective and examine landscapes of consumption1 or geographic areas that encompass two, or more, cathedrals of consumption.2 In his work on the arcade, which encompasses a number of shops and cafés, Benjamin called it a “primordial landscape of consumption.”3 Just as we have witnessed revolutionary ...
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