George Ritzer

George Ritzer (born October 14, 1940) is an American sociologist, professor, and author who has mainly studied globalization, metatheory, patterns of consumption, and modern/postmodern social theory. His concept of McDonaldization draws upon Max Weber's idea of rationalization through the lens of the fast food industry. He coined the term in a 1983 article for The Journal of American Culture, developing the concept in The McDonaldization of Society (1993), which is among the best selling monographs in the history of American sociology.

George Ritzer
Born (1940-10-14) October 14, 1940
New York City, United States
Alma mater
Notable work
  • The McDonaldization of Society (1993)
  • Sociology: A Multiple Paradigm Science (1975, 1980)
  • Toward an Integrated Sociological Paradigm (1981)
  • Metatheorizing in Sociology (1991)
  • The Blackwell Companion to Major Contemporary Social Theorists (2003)
  • The Globalization of Nothing (2007)
  • Enchanting a Disenchanted World (2009)
  • Globalization: A Basic Text (2010,2015, 2022)
  • Introduction to Sociology (2012)
  • Sociological Theory (2013)
  • Essentials of Sociology (2014)
Main interests
Notable ideas

Ritzer has written many general sociology books, including Introduction to Sociology (2012) and Essentials to Sociology (2014), and modern/postmodern social theory textbooks. Many of his works have been translated into over 20 languages, with over a dozen translations of The McDonaldization of Society alone.

Ritzer is currently a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland, College Park.

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