Published by Sage, 1999, Paperback.
Condition: Very Good.
First in this, paperback, edition. From the cover: Resisting McDonaldization brings together leading European, American and Australasian social and cultural analysts to engage in a critical appraisal of the McDonaldization thesis. This thesis argued that the dimensions of rationality characteristic of the organization of the fast-food industry in general, and McDonalds in particular, notably a preoccupation with efficiency, calculability, predictability and control, along with associated problematic consequences, have become increasingly prominent features of contemporary social life.
In these specially commissioned contributions, the authors discuss the roots of the McDonaldization thesis, the rationalization of late modern life, the effects of increasing cultural commodification, the continuing prominence of American cultural and economic imperialism, and the impact of globalization on social and cultural life. The strengths, weaknesses and analytical potential of the McDonaldization thesis are clearly evaluated, and the key features and irrational consequences of rationalization are identified and critically explored.
Resisting McDonaldization enlarges our understanding of how everyday life is structured by new standards of bureaucratic control and performance-related criteria. It will be invaluable reading for students, teachers and researchers in the areas of sociology, cultural studies and politics.
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