Enchanting a Disenchanted World: Revolutionizing the Means of ConsumptionMegamalls. Restaurant chains. Elaborate casinos. Deluxe cruise ships. Enormous theme parks. Everywhere we turn, there is a new place being constructed in which to spend money. The Second Edition of Enchanting a Disenchanted World: Revolutionizing the Means of Consumption examines the development of these settings, and many others like them, in the last half century. Author George Ritzer takes a look at how a revolutionary change has occurred in the places in which we consume goods and services, and how it has a profound effect not only on the nature of consumption but also on social life. In the process of taking capitalism to a new level, we have created new "cathedrals of consumption"-locales to which we make pilgrimages in order to practice our consumer religion. The book offers rich detail on consuming in places such as Las Vegas, Disney World, cruise ships, Wal-Mart, and McDonald's-all competing to outdo one another to see which one can put on the greatest show and lure the most consumers. Enchanting a Disenchanted World is a unique analysis of the world of consumption, examining how we are different consumers now than we were in the past, both in the U.S. and around the world. In the process of understanding this social development, a wide range of theoretical perspectives including Marxian, Weberian, critical theory, and postmodern theory are applied. The book also looks at concepts such as hyperconsumption, implosion, time and space, and simulation |
Contents
A Tour of the New Means of Consumption | 1 |
The Revolution in Consumption and the Larger Society | 25 |
Social Theory and the New Means of Consumption | 47 |
Rationalization Enchantment and Disenchantment | 71 |
Reenchantment Creating Spectacle through Extravaganzas and Simulations | 93 |
Reenchantment Creating Spectacle through Implosion Time and Space | 115 |
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Common terms and phrases
advertising American amusement parks arcades attractions Baudrillard casino-hotels catalogs cathedrals of consumption centers chain City commodities consumers contemporary create credit card cruise ships culture customers cybermalls Dave and Buster's department store discussed disenchanted disenchantment Disney World Disney's Duomo Easton Easton Town Center enchantment encompass entertainment especially example fact fantasies fast food restaurants franchises galleria gambling gated communities George Ritzer home shopping networks huge hyperconsumption Ibid idea implosion important increasingly Internet Jean Baudrillard landscapes of consumption large numbers least lure Mall of America McDonald's means of consumption mega-mall modern movie offer outlets Pigeon Forge postmodern production rationalized reenchantment retail sell sense settings shopping malls simulated society space spectacle spectacular spend stadiums Strip sumption superstores television theater theme parks things tion tourist town Vegas casinos virtual visitors Wal-Mart Wall Street Journal Washington Post Weber York Zukin