The Disenchanted Kingdom: George Ritzer on the Disappearance of Authentic American Culture An Interview by Derrick Jensen

Derrick Jensen December 19, George Ritzer Author/ Environmental Activist Sociology professor-UMCP

Some publications by Ritzer The Globalization of Nothing Sociology: A Multiple Paradigm Science Toward an Integrated Sociological Paradigm Enchanting a Disenchanted World: Revolutionizing the Means of Consumption The McDonaldization of Society

What is McDonaldization? “It’s the process by which the principles of the fast-food industry — efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control through technology — are being applied to more and more sectors of society in more and more parts of the world”. Ritzer

Key Elements of McDonaldization Efficiency Predictability Calculability and Control through technology

Key Concepts in the Interview Taylor's Scientific management “Frederick W. Taylor was articulating his famous notion of “scientific management”: studying workers and then routinizing and systematizing what they do so that they will operate in an efficient, predictable, calculable way — and using technology to achieve these ends”. How does this connect to Weber? How does this connect to Marx? Where did you read about “…Taylorism with a smiley face”?

Key Concepts in the Interview Consumers as unpaid workers Who benefits? Who loses?

Marketing to children

Dehumanization False fraternization McDonaldized pseudopeople

Desacralization Disenchantment Simulated enchantment Cathedrals of consumption

Jean Baudrillard (July 27, 1929 – March 6, 2007) Postmodernity Simulacra & Hypereality

Signals of Postmodernity Witt- Ch. 8 #1 Narratives #2 The power of images #3 Choices and the consumption of reality #4 Networks in a globalizeded world #5 Transgressions

The code “The most powerful system is that which leads people to police themselves…” “There’s no “they” controlling us. It’s simply a system of rewards. Our economic system rewards people for certain behaviors with profit and, more deeply, power. Now, having money and power as rewards — and as goals — leads to a system set up to maximize profitability and concentrate power and control. When we are trapped inside such a system, we consciously or unconsciously work to achieve profitability and power”.

Colonization “The thing to remember is that, within our rationalized, bureaucratized society, the system always wins. And it always grows larger and more invasive not only of the outside world, but also of our internal worlds. Each of us is colonized”. Dangerous Giants

But, we are Goffman’s “dangerous giants.” the Land Of Giants project by Massachusetts architecture firm Choi + Shine