McDonaldization of society 5

This book has been a fabulous success with students because it combines elements of critical social theory, readability... and popular culture′ - Charles Frederick, Jr., Indiana University

One of the most noteworthy and popular sociology books of all time, The McDonaldization of Society demonstrates the power of the sociological imagination to today′s readers in a way that few books have been able to do.

This edition of the McDonaldization of society makes much the same set points as previous nature structure of the argument have been altered somewhat to better reflect devel opments in the McDonaldized world as well as in the growing amount of scholarship associated with it.

The biggest change in this edition is the completely new final chapter (10), "The Starbuckization of Society?" Starbucks has grown very rapidly, and its projected growth is even greater; hence, it must now be considered a serious competitor to McDonald's as a model for the broader, contemporary process of rationalization that is the concern of this book. If current trends con tinue, in less than a decade there will be more Starbucks coffee shops than McDonald's restaurants in the world. Starbucks has become important not only economically but, of perhaps even greater significance, culturally. Arguably, it is fast becoming the world's coffee house and destination not only for commuters but for students in search of a place to study, for businesspeople in need of a place to work and even hold meetings, and for parents of young children to meet and socialize. Although its increasing ubiquity and cultural importance are clear, what is Starbucks' relationship to the central issue in this book rationalization (or, in its current form, McDonaldization)? Has Starbucks con tributed so much to the process of rationalization that it is replacing McDonald's as the paradigm for that process? The answer, as you will see, is no, but in the course of answering that question, interesting insights are offered not only on rationalization and McDonaldization but also on just what it is that has made Starbucks such a success.