Join the conversation with one of ’s best-known thinkers.

Welcome to George Ritzer’s Introduction to Sociology. While providing a rock-solid foundation on the basic topics and concepts in sociology, Ritzer focuses on today’s most compelling socio- logical phenomena: globalization, the internet, and consumption, including Ritzer’s signature interest—the McDonaldization of Society.

THEMES

GLOBALIZATION THE INTERNET

Globalization continues to attract increasing attention The Internet’s sociological significance grows by in the field of sociology as indicated in the recent the day. Facebook has reached almost a billion founding and dramatic growth of the American members worldwide and in early 2011 news and Sociological Association’s section on Global and photos of the revolutions sweeping the Middle East Transnational Sociology. As products of the “global and North Africa were flashed around the world age,” students, like sociologists, are deeply immersed instantly via various social networking sites. As the in innumerable aspects of globalization. internet grows, so does its impact on the sociological lives of students. CONSUMPTION McDONALDIZATION Consumption continues to drive the cultures of developed and even developing countries. In the With restaurants in 120 countries worldwide, United States and Europe the topic has been studied McDonalds is a global business enterprise. Ritzer, extensively and now it has become a compelling recognized for having established the theory of sociological issue in places like China where McDonaldization, uses this theory to introduce production has historically been the prevailing socio- students to the worldwide impact of this business and economic issue. cultural model. GEORGE RITZER’S PRESENTATION OF THEORY

In this text, theory is presented through a three- • Conflict/critical theory includes conflict theory, category system that is similar to the approach in critical theory, feminist theory, queer theory, most introductory sociology texts, but is broader, critical theories of race and racism, and encompassing both classical and important postmodern theory. contemporary theories. Each category in this system • Inter/actionist theory includes symbolic (structural/functional, conflict/critical, and inter/ interactionism, ethnomethodology, exchange actionist) encompasses two or more theories, theory, and rational choice theory. including some of the newest and most important theories developed since the 1960s: Through this deft approach, George Ritzer is able to provide a traditional theoretical framework while • Structural/functional theory includes structural exposing students to the innovative new theories that functionalism and structuralism. drive sociological discussion today.

FEATURES

• Timely and engaging chapter-opening vignettes, 88 written in Ritzer’s vivid and distinctive story- Introduction to Sociology DIGITAL telling voice, draw the reader into the chapter LIVING

and spark meaningful classroom discussions. 129 Netnography Culture Chapter 4

The Internet is a social world. Communications, • Globalization boxes reinforce one of the central relationships, and groups—which are among the most basic concerns of sociologists—are key might join the online fan club of a world-famous elements of the Internet. The most obvious aspects rock star in order to learn something about the themes of the text by exposing of the Internet of interest to sociologists are online relationship between a star and her fans. The discussion forums, as well as social networking sites researcher might be able to interact directly with BALIZATION such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. Because of the fans and the star through a Twitter feed. GL them, access to discussions, social relationships, and Netnographers can also intently study the use and exchange stories and pictures through social students to compelling examples social groups has expanded. However, fundamental of Facebook by activists such as took place in Moscow’s “Roofers” networking sites. They have developed, as is the case among many subgroups on these websites,concepts (like norms), theories (like symbolic Egypt while they were engaged in the ultimately and case studies taken from cultures Moscow—and Russia more broadly—was globally their own jargon. It is they who label themselvesinteractionism; see Chapter 2), and methods successful effort to overthrow longtime dictator isolated only two decades ago. But since the fall roofers, the concierges of buildings are(especially called observation) are much the same both Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Membership in this and party buses are the police vans that of the Soviet Union and Russia’s recent economic konsa, online and offline. Not surprisingly, emerging online community gave researchers real- development, it has become rapidly integrated occasionally gather them up and take them to jail. or an account of what transpires online,netnography, has time access to ongoing global communication. and communities outside of the U.S. into the global economy (Jeffries 2011). Russia is Those involved in the “roofer”become subculture a highly relevant method for sociological When the success in Egypt spawned popular the world’s largest producer of oil and a major seem to do it for the unique experiences,research to (Turkle get 1997, 2011). social uprisings in other countries, researchers had producer of natural gas, and, with increased away from the routine. Others see themselves as the opportunity to study how newly emerging foreign investment, its capital city has changed explorers, even pioneers. Still others are rejecting dramatically. One indication of economic business and work and seeking something that popular movements in one country can shape • Digital Living boxes highlight another development and the integration of Russia and they consider more important than money. others. Moscow into the global economy is the great Nevertheless, some “roofers” have created a expansion of the country’s fast-food industry. For business conducting tours of the “best roofs” example, McDonald’s now has 279 restaurants in Another example of netnography is illustrated major thematic thread of the text, of St. Petersburg—another major Russian city— in the map shown here, which uses Crowdmap Russia. The leading franchisee for Papa John’s in costing between $13 and $80 per person. Others, software to plot the location of occurrences Russia said: “‘I could succeed in my sleep there with permission from the building owners, are is so much opportunity here’” (Kramer 2011:B1). using the rooftops for birthday and wedding reported via user-generated videos, images, blogs, allowing students to take an objective Russia’s economic development is most visible in celebrations. and tweets. This crowdmap was published by the Moscow, an increasingly modern city of about Voice of America in the Middle East in a project 13 million people. It is there that we find a new called subculture—Moscow’s “roofers.” Behind the Wall, reports on street demonstrations, which collects such as social those media look at the Internet and the media in Unlike traditional roofers, the “roofers” not work on roofs of buildings. described in Chapter 1, in Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain of Moscow do (Samnani and Nur 2011). Figure 3.3 plots street Rather, they simply sneak onto the rooftops and demonstrations in Syria in 2011. The maps are general and their profound effect on luxuriate in being there, enjoying the sights (other 13 buildings) and sounds (birds, traffic). Because a new way to document oppression and record Chapter 1 An Introduction to Sociology in the Global Age of the great changes occurring in Moscow, the history in the making. These new social media vistas are constantly new and changing. The reports also provide many other new opportunities individuals and society. “roofers” have enjoyed the sight of the razing for understanding social dynamics. and renovation of old buildings, as well as of the erection of new buildings throughout the city. Globalization, introduced in Chapter 1, is one It is not easy12 to gainIntroduction access to Sociology to Moscow’s subject that is far easier to study on the Internet An art student from the University of Helwan paints the Facebook that ensures that customers dispose of their Today garbage, if only by dumping it in the back • The quintessentially-Ritzer roofs. Buildings often have locks with electronic McDONALDIZATIONlogo on a mural commemorating the 2011 revolution that than it is anywhere else (Kozinets 2002). Instead or manual keypads. “Roofers” crack the codes, of needing to be in several placesseats around of their cars.the Control of customer overthrew Egyptian President Hosnis Mubarak. As the Egyptian behavior can only go so far, however. All sometimes by simply using various combinations too often, McDonald’s customers toss the The McDonaldization of Society protests escalated, activists painted icons of the protests, world, netnographers who study globalization of the buttons that show the most use by onal Big Mac, for example—and how low the price familiar burger and fry packaging out their are—theincluding dollar breakfast,Facebook, for which example. they You used don’t to organize protests. ing can do most, if not all, of the researchcar windows from and, in the process, litter the boxes residents. They also bluff their way into buildings hear as much, however, about the quality of the McDonaldization Today McDonaldization is the process by which the rati their computers. Many online communitiesroad and countryside. A 2009 report by Keep by pretending over intercomsprinciples ofto the be fast-food deliverymen, restaurant are com ). restaurant’s ingredients or its products. Similarly, Britain Tidy revealed that just under a third letter carriers, or neighbors.to dominate more and more sectors of society and you may hearNetnographers about how many burgers are areobserving served thousands of are global in their scope, engaged (29in percent)global of the fast-food litter in 10 British more societies throughout the world (Ritzer 2011 per hour or how quickly they are served, but you No one knows how many “roofers” there are phenomena online. For example,, bute to a netnographer communications, and generating globalcities was actions composed of McDonald’s wrappers weave his theory of McDonaldization It leads to the creation of rational systems—like don’t hear about other measures of employees’ and cups (Gray 2009). fast-food restaurants—that are characterized skill. A focus on quantity also means that tasks ar of various kinds (for example, efforts to deal in Moscow—the activity is illegal, and it is often Roofers relax atop a St. Petersburg high-rise. Roofers seize r by the most direct and efficient means to their often done under great pressure, which can mean Paradoxically, rationality often seems to lead practiced in small groupsends. of McDonaldized two to three systems people, have four definingaccess to the roofsthat they of private are done buildings in a slipshod not to manner. vandalize with the causes of climate change). A great to its exact opposite—irrationality. Just conside usually in their late teenscharacteristics: or early 20s. Much of the explore, congregate, and view the surrounding area. n- • Predictability. McDonaldization ensures that the the problems of roadside litter due to drive- throughout the book and further help “roofer” subculture exists on the Internet. One entire experience of patronizing a fast-food chain through services at fast-food restaurants. Or co Efficiency. The emphasis is on the use of the online community of •“roofers” has about 1,500 is nearly identical from one geographic setting sider the inefficiencies associated with crowdst quickest and least costly means to whatever end to another—even globally—and from one time of people clamoring at the counters and a long- members. “Roofers” blogis desired. about It istheir clear thatexperiences employees of fast-food to another. For example, when customers enter line of cars snaking its way—oh so slowly—pas t restaurants work efficiently: Burgers are cooked a McDonald’s restaurant, employees ask what the drive-through window. Or the societal inefst students to understand the theory and and assembled as if on an assembly line, with no they wish to order, following scripts created by ficiencies of dealing with childhood obesity tha - wasted movements or ingredients, and digital the corporation. For their part, customers can has been blamed, in part, on the ubiquity of fa ordering systems are used in conjunction with a expect to find most of the same menu items, food. Another of the irrationalities of rational limited menu to expedite the accurate placement especially at chain restaurants within their own ity is dehumanization. Fast-food employees are of customer orders with the kitchen (Kelso 2011). country. Employees, following another script, can forced to work in dehumanizing jobs, which can the increasingly rationalized society and Similarly, customers are expected to spend as lead to job dissatisfaction, alienation, and high be counted on to thank customers for their order. little time as possible in the fast-food restaurant. Thus, a highly predictable ritual is played out in turnover rates. Fast-food customers are forced to- Many of the chairs are designed to be somewhat the fast-food restaurant. eat in dehumanizing settings, such as in the cold uncomfortable, impelling customers to leave after and impersonal atmosphere of the fast-food res about only 20 minutes so new customers can be • Control. In McDonaldized systems, a good deal taurant, in their cars, or on the move as they walkes world. seated. Perhaps the best example of efficiency is of control is maintained through technology. down the street. As more of the world succumbs the drive-through window, a highly organized French fry machines buzz when the fries are owing markets. to McDonaldization, dehumanization becom done and even automatically lift them out of means for employees to dole out meals in a matter d open 7,000 new more the norm. the hot oil. The automatic fry machine may China is one of McDonald’s largest and fastest gr of seconds (Horovitz 2002). Overall, the fast-food Between 2011 and 2013, McDonald’s plans to restaurant seeks to ensure that both employees an save time and prevent accidents, but it makes it restaurants in China—nearly one every day. - customers act efficiently. The efficiency of one helps impossible to meet a special customer request the other to behave in a similarly efficient manner. for brown, crispy fries. Similarly, the drive- Vegas, which has become a capital for the con through window can be seen as a technology sumption of entertainment and high-end goods • Calculability. You hear a lot at McDonald’s about source for term-paper bibliographies rather than - quantities: how large the food portions are—the and services, is hurting. Dubai, aspiring to be buying the books. Travelers are using Internet sites the consumption capital of the East, hit a finan such as Expedia to compare prices but then buying cial rough spot in 2009 and had to restructure money on each item, than they would elsewhere. In - fact, however, the site is not as exclusive as it seems airplane tickets from traditional travel agents or on $100 billion in debt. It seems possible, although The sociological study of consumption sites since members are urged to recruit their friends, and an airline’s website. unlikely, that even though we entered the con involves, among many other things, a critical look at they get a $10 credit after the first purchase of every sumption age only about a half-century ago, we the ways in which they are structured in order to lead Social change continues, and the Great - new member they bring to ruelala.com. - - now may be on the verge of what could be called people to consume certain things and not others, Recession has altered many things, including the the “postconsumption age.” While excessive con - to consume more than they might have intended, Sociologists are also interested in how con degree to which society is dominated by con sumption and the related high level of debt were and to go into debt (Manning 2001; Marron 2009; sumers use shopping malls and e-tailers in ways sumption. Shoppers have cut back dramatically, key factors in causing the Great Recession, a post Ritzer 1995). Take, for com,example, an “invitation-only” the website ruelala. site that were not anticipated by their designers. For and many consumption sites have experienced consumption age would bring with it fewer jobs great difficulties. Many outdoor strip malls have that was established to sell- example, people often wander through shopping and a declining standard of living for many. Audio Link 1.2 expensive clothing to mem malls and their many shops, which have been emptied, and indoor malls have numerous vacant Online Networks bers at what are supposed to designed to spur consumption, without buying stores, including large department stores. Las anything. Defunct malls are serving as impromptu be huge discounts. The rationale behind the site is skate parks. Students are using Amazon.com as a that because of its seeming exclusivity, people will be lured into buying more items, and spending more ASIA • Global Flow Maps provide geographical context and data NORTH AMERICA EUROPE

on the global issue at hand. AFRICA Arabic SOUTH AMERICA Chinese English French 131 Culture AUSTRALIA HindiChapter 4 Portuguese Russian Spanish • Public Sociology boxes explain how sociology is Other more than an academic discipline and in Public Sociology Gitlin currently serves as professor of journalism Todd Gitlin and the Culture Wars* and sociology at Columbia University. His former academic positions include professor of sociology 136 several cases like Todd Gitlin is an American sociologist, journalist, Introduction to Sociology and director of the mass communications program at novelist, and poet who was born in 1943. He has the University of California–Berkeley and professor been actively involved in the culture wars since his of culture, journalism, and sociology at New York the most sophisticated of architects have adopted that of Andrew early days as a college student. In 1963–1964, he was University. In line with his early activism, Gitlin has president of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), elements of the architecture of Las Vegas casino hotels sought to reach wider audiences with his sociological one of the most famous radical student movement (Klingmann 2007; Venturi, Brown, and Izenour analyses. His social commentaryThe New has York appeared Times, in Los Cherlin, the content organizations of the day. He helped organize both Global Flow Map 4.1 a variety of newspapers ( 1972). Indeed, some of these architects are now bits the first national protest against the Distribution of Major Languages Angeles Times, The WashingtonThe Nation, Post, Mother San), Francisco and Jones, other involved in designing and building structures in Las and the first American demonstrations against Chronicle), magazines ( Vegas. For example, the famed architect Cesar Pelli has been written by corporate involvement in . Pierre Bourdieu poetry in The New York Review of Books Gitlin’s view of his activist role is reflected in his designed the Aria Resort and Casino, the centerpiece outlets (National Public Radio). He also served as a (1930–2002, quote: “I am a realist as well as an idealist, and I think of the new CityCenter complex in Las Vegas. member of the Board of Directors of French) the public sociologists that it is incumbent upon those of us in opposition BIOGRAPHICAL USA from 2003 to 2006. Gitlin has sought to engage to try to work within what are always arduous Indeed, the lines between high and low culture a variety of publics (including students, everyday circumstances to stretch the limits of the possible” are increasingly blurred (DiMaggio 1987). The citizens, and bystanders) by using sociological ideas • Bourdieu came from themselves. (Monbiot and Gitlin 2011). masses can now see live performances of the to help them make better sense of the world and Metropolitanto Opera in their local movie theaters, a humble, rural Gitlin has written extensively on media and imagine the range of human and social possibilities. background, but he was able to attend and communications. His work has had an impact both and the elites spend far more time enjoying various eventually teach at the most prestigious SOURCE: *By Paul Dean on sociology and on theThe larger Whole public. World One Is Watching of his forms of popular culture, such as going to the movies universities in France. most famous books is and watching TV and YouTube, than they do at the • (1980), an analysis of major news coverage of the Met. The famous opera As a student, he came to reject the Marxist, especially Stalinist, ideas that were very early days of the anti-Vietnam War movement. In transformed into a popularAida by musical Giuseppe of theVerdi same was this book, Gitlin draws on interviews with movement powerful at the time in French academia. activists, news coverage, and his own experiences name, produced by the Disney Corporation and with music by Elton John. Important aesthetic distinctions • He was drafted in 1956 and spent two years • Biographical Bits to analyze how the media reported on the antiwar in the French army in Algeria; he stayed on movement and other movements. He shows that the can still be made in the realm of culture. However, to write a book about his experiences. media tend first to ignore movements, and when those distinctions have become more difficult to introduce students to they finally do cover them, they selectively focus on make, are not as clear-cut, and are not as important • After returning to France, he became only certain parts of the story. Despite their claims a major intellectual figure in Paris and of neutrality and objectivity, they thereby distort the as they once were (Halle [1993] 2007, 2007). eventually the world as a whole. influential classical and reality and treat these movements as abnormal social • While he had rejected Marxist ideas early phenomena. In overemphasizing the revolutionary in his career, some of those ideas—to focus rhetoric and distorting what social movements EMERGING ISSUES on people’s practices and do theory that contemporary sociologists do, the media help to destabilize them. Gitlin relates to those practices—continued to be demonstrates how, in supporting “moderate” societal IN CULTURE expressed in his work. reforms, the media further undermine more radical Culture is continually in the process of change, who have had a major social movements. • His most famous book, just as it is continually in the process of being Distinction: A Social Pink Medea Critique of the Judgment of Taste raq. transmitted from one generation to the next. Some argued that our tastes (for food, music,(1984), and impact on the field. In 2007, actor Sean Penn joined co-founder of Codeo ignore, then to of the ways in which today’s culture is changing are other types of culture) come from our social Benjamin in a Washington, DC march against the war in I worthy of further exploration in this book. In this position,especially our social class, rather Todd Gitlin found that media outlets tend first t than supposedly inherently good properties focus on only certain parts of such protests. section, we will focus on global culture, consumer culture, and cyberculture. of those cultural objects. place more significance on empathy, openness, and fairness (McAdams et al. 2008) and tend to symbolic culture cannot be so easily pinpointed— see these developments in the family as signs of worrying about the decline in the traditional nuclear GLOBAL CULTURE and is not always appreciated. greater acceptance of people’s differences and family, the increasing prevalence of cohabitation and While there are certainly major differences within • Evocative and visually stimulatingsingle parenthood, photo and homosexual essays marriages at and circumstances. Within the field of sociology, in fact, American culture—ideal versus real, subcultures, The Globalization of Values. child adoptions. They place more emphasis on strict and so on—few would dispute the idea that it is discussed how values differ, sometimes We have alreadygreatly, moral codes and self-discipline. In contrast, liberals several places in the text present a visual representation possible to talk about American culture in general. from one society to another. How, then, can we CathedralsHowever, of discussing anything like a global culture, discuss global values—values that are shared a culture common to the world as a whole, is not as throughout the world (Sekulic 2007)? Some of topics such as work in a global world, cathedrals of easy. Some elements of material culture, including Consumption The shopping mall came to be the scholars argue that global values exist because all Elaborate outdoorBig markets, Macs bazaars and sushi,archetypical cars, symbol ofand American communication people share a biological structure, which produces and arcades have technology,long been centers of have consumptionspread throughout widely the latter half around the consumption, and protests and revolutions consumption. However, consumption centers The Galaxy Macauuniversal is a la tendencies, including common values. of the twentieth century. While suburban the Cotai Strip in Macau,rge Ch casino resort on were revolutionizedworld, in post- World but War theII globalizationmalls remain popular of destinations values, for norms, andas the Galaxy Macau en ina. Casinos such (a form of consumption)Otherscourage t gamblingcontend that while particular values vary America with the creation of many modern many, they seem almost quaint when alcoholic drinks, inexpensivehrough free flashy designs, and live ente hotel rooms, The Mall of America, located near Minneapolis, cathedrals of consumption. Recall from casinos “forgo” clocks compared to some of the more modern from countryrtainment. Many to country,Minnesota, boasts four the floors, underlying4.2 million square structure worldwide. that gamblers lose and windows so feet, more than 500 retail outlets, and more Chapter 12 that cathedrals of consumptions cathedrals of consumption such as mega- track of time. than 40 million visitors a year. Beyond its many are the large, lavish sites where we go to malls, cruise ships and casino-hotels. restaurants and boutiques, the mall features an celebrate and practice consumption—a indoor theme park with several rollercoasters, an practice that in many ways has become 18-hole miniature golf course, and an aquarium. today’s most prominent religion. • End-of-chapter features, such as chapter summaries, Thinking About Sociology discussion questions, Applying Women shop for jewelry at a large open-air market located in a predominantly Muslim

eBay, the premier online auction Delhi, India. Unlike most areaW of and shopping website, is a virtual markets, bartering plays a estern the Sociological Imagination, and Active Sociology allow bazaar where an unfathomably diverse significant role in consumption array of new and used products are VISUAL SOCIOLOGY ay, more throughout the Middle East a Encompassing 61 covered auctioned and sold around the world. vows South Asia—especially in nd dating back to 1455 CE streets and Dubbed the Love Boat National Holid With the advent of persistent wireless nd Princess informal market setting. the Bazaar is one of the la , Istanbul’s Grand than a thousand couples renewed their Internet technology, one can carry this Supermarket chain Woolworths launched the world’s first virtual supermarket in Town Hall covered markets in the rgest and oldest at sea aboard the cruise ship Gran cruise. These cathedral of consumption at all times often Station, Sydney, Australia’s busy commuter upwards of 400,000 vis world, drawing as part of a seven-day Caribbea in a pocket or purse. promotions railway hub. Using the Woolworths smartphone than 3,000 retails sho itors a day. More floating cathedrals of consumption app, customers could browse products, scan readers the opportunity to think critically about the corridors of the bazaar,ps line the ornate offer special events, day trips, and id for room from furniture to fala to customers who have already pa barcodes from the virtual supermarket wall, pay selling everything for their orders, and have the products delivered and board. 502 fel. directly to their homes or places of work.

concepts that they’ve 503

545 learned in the The Body, Medicine, Health, and Health Care Chapter 13

7. How have the Internet and new social media 3. You decide to go to a party with friends on the technologies affected the consumption of health 544 Introduction to Sociology night before a big exam. You end up drinking care? What are some of the disadvantages of having chapter and take access to more information about health care? too much and sleep through your alarm clock. According to Parsons’s idea of the sick role, why SUMMARY would your professor be justified in deciding not 8. In what ways are patients increasingly prosumers countries. Disadvantages are often linked with to give you a makeup exam? What would you of health care? How has this affected the power In many ways beauty has become a commodity one’s social class, race, and gender. There have been have to change in order to be excused? of physicians? that can be bought. The emphasis on beauty has attempts to address these inequalities with health 9. How has globalization tended to widen global their learning care reform, though the lack of a public option in 4. What are the characteristics of a profession? also placed more attention on physical activity and disparities in health care? What kinds of health its linkages to healthy bodies. Body modification, recent legislation makes it unlikely that it will do What factors can help explain why physicians have problems are you most likely to find in the Global such as tattoos and piercing, is another example of much to deal with the problem of out-of-control become increasingly deprofessionalized? South? What could be done to avoid some of society’s increase in reflexivity and has become more health care costs and inequality in health care. these problems? 5. What are the weaknesses of the health care common over the last several decades. The explosion In line with the deprofessionalization of medicine, system in the United States? How are these 10. How has globalization improved the quality of of sociological interest in the body can be traced beyond the the focus in health care has shifted from the weaknesses related to systems of stratification? health care around the world? In what ways back to Michel Foucault, whose work formed the producers to the consumers of care. People are also has technology been an important factor in the foundation of the sociological study of the body. This being asked, and desiring themselves, to be prosumers 6. How is the McDonaldization of childbirth related improvement of global health? Are the benefits field is defined by a general focus on the relationship in the health care system. The Internet has become to the increasing medicalization of society? of globalization evenly distributed with respect to between the body, society, and culture. It encompasses involved in the consumption of health care in various What consequences has this had for the birthing health care? Why or why not? a wide range of concerns such as the gendered body, ways. It provides, at least to people who have Internet process? classroom and the sexuality, and bodily pain. access, a quick and easy way to locate doctors, shop Medical sociology is concerned with the social for the lowest prices on procedures, read fellow causes and consequences of illness. Since the middle patients’ reviews, and become more knowledgeable of the twentieth century the medical profession, about health and health care. along with other professions, has gone through a Similar to the inequality within the United States process of deprofessionalization, whereby its power APPLYING THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION regarding health care, there are also global disparities expectancy and infant mortality). Use the Internet and autonomy, as well as its high status and great book. in health. These disparities have often been tied to This chapter highlights the inequalities in U.S. to locate data from the World Health Organization. wealth, have declined relative to the very high place globalization. Individuals in the Global South suffer What do the data suggest about the health in each it once held. Unlike doctors, nurses were never able health care and health care around the world. disproportionately from hunger and malnutrition, of the countries? How is this reflective of global to achieve full professional status, mainly because of For this activity, compare the United States to two including obesity and undernutrition. The spread of stratification? How could globalization be used to the predominantly male medical profession’s desire to other countries—one from the Global North and AIDS is linked to globalization and increased global help change the outcomes in each of these countries? keep the predominantly female nursing profession in one from the Global South—based on their health mobility. This is particularly problematic in Africa, care spending and health outcomes (such as life a subordinate position. wherein over two thirds of all AIDS cases are located. Overall, there is broad consensus that the U.S. However, globalization also allows information about health care system is seriously flawed. Indeed, despite new medical developments to flow faster around the vast amounts of money that the United States the world though the ability to implement new spends on health care, U.S. life expectancy ranks 50th technologies and afford new pharmaceuticals clearly in the world, and its rates of infant mortality are varies by geographic location. ACTIVE SOCIOLOGY also higher than those of most other industrialized WebMD instead of going to a doctor? Read through Many websites provide information about health the interactive pages, such as the Top Trends, Expert and wellness. One of these is WebMD. Go to the site Blogs, etc. Who is sharing information here? How (www.webmd.com) and describe the way health is does this site reflect the prosumer perspective? To constructed. What is considered healthy and what is participate in this, create your own account. Based on KEY TERMS considered sick? What types of illnesses are presented your membership, what knowledge can you add to • Medicalization 528 507 and how are they described? How are constructions this page? That is, how and where are you allowed to Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder • • Profession 519 of beauty embedded in the site? From a sociological create or contribute to medical advice on this site? Deprofessionalization 520 perspective, why might someone use a site like • • Sick role 517 Food insecurity 533 • • Undernutrition 533 • Medical sociology 517

THINKING ABOUT SOCIOLOGY 2. How is risk-taking behavior related to Michel 1. We live in an increasingly reflexive society with Foucault’s idea of limit experiences? a heightened awareness about our bodies. What satisfaction do people get out of risk-taking According to Naomi Wolf, how does the beauty behavior? myth perpetuate such reflexivity? INTERACTIVE EBOOK

An Interactive eBook version of the text is available video, audio, additional enrichment readings, for students to provide a contemporary, multimedia- glossary terms, and other relevant resources, bringing integrated presentation for learning. In addition to a sociology to life in a way that a traditional print full electronic textbook, students can link directly to text cannot.

OPEN-ACCESS STUDENT STUDY SITE Found at www.sagepub.com/ritzerintro

This open-access Student Study Site is intended to enhance students’ understanding of the concepts in Introduction to Sociology. On this site, students have access to: • Quizzes: Flexible self-quizzes allow you to review • Reference Links: Each chapter includes links to the concepts from each chapter. relevant articles in SAGE Sociology Handbooks • eFlashcards: These study tools reinforce your and Encyclopedias. understanding of key terms and concepts • SAGE Journal Articles: A “Learning From SAGE outlined in the chapters. Journal Articles” feature provides access to • Active Sociology Feature: Content-specific recent, relevant full-text articles from SAGE’s instructions and assignments bring educational leading research journals. Each article supports value to social media resources and promote a and expands on the concepts presented fully interactive, Internet-based approach to in the chapter. This feature also provides learning. Book-specific assignments include using discussion questions to focus and guide student blogs, wikis, Twitter, and other multifaceted interpretation. channels of communication. • Research | Social Impact: This feature provides • Film Resources Bibliography: A bibliography of full-length articles from Pacific Standard magazine, important film resources that explore sociological highlighting sociological research and its concepts. connection to social engagement. • Video Links: Carefully selected, web-based video playlists contain 2-4 videos each and feature • CQ Researcher Links: Full-length articles are relevant interviews, lectures, personal stories, presented from CQ Researcher, highlighting inquiries, and other content for use in independent important research on today’s issues. or classroom-based explorations of key topics. • Web Resources: These links to relevant websites • Audio Links: Each chapter includes links to direct both instructors and students to additional podcasts, which cover important topics and are resources for further research on important chapter designed to supplement key points within the text. topics. INSTRUCTOR ANCILLARIES

Found at www.sagepub.com/ritzerintro This password-protected site provides instructors with everything that they need to prepare and teach their introductory course. Included on the site are:

• Test Bank (Word®): This Word test bank offers • Tables and Figures: Tables and figures from the a diverse set of test questions and answers for book will be posted online for use in handouts, each chapter of the book. Multiple-choice, true/ lectures, or quizzes. false, short-answer, and essay questions for every • Web Resources: These links to relevant websites chapter help instructors assess students’ progress direct both instructors and students to additional and understanding. resources for further research on important • Test Bank (Diploma): This electronic test bank chapter topics. using Diploma software is available for use with • Film Resources Bibliography: A bibliography a PC or Mac. The test bank offers a diverse set presents important film resources that explore of test questions and answers for each chapter sociological concepts. of the book. Multiple-choice, true/false, short- • SAGE Journal Links: This feature provides access answer, and essay questions for every chapter to recent, relevant, full-length articles from SAGE’s help instructors assess students’ progress and leading research journals. understanding. • SAGE Reference Links: Links from SAGE • PowerPoint: Chapter-specific slide presentations Encyclopedias and Handbooks provide further offer assistance with lecture and review preparation instruction on key issues in the text. by highlighting essential content, features, and • Research | Social Impact Links: Full-length artwork from the book. articles from Pacific Standard magazine highlight sociological research in the real world. • Chapter Summary: Summaries of each chapter are posted online for lectures/student handouts. • Video Links: Carefully selected, web-based video playlists contain 2-4 videos each and feature • Sample Syllabi: Sample syllabi—for semester and relevant interviews, lectures, personal stories, quarter classes—provide suggested models for inquiries, and other content for use in independent instructors to use when creating the syllabi for or classroom-based explorations of key topics. their courses. • Audio Links: Each chapter includes links to • Discussion Questions: Chapter-specific questions podcasts, which cover important topics and are help launch discussion by prompting students designed to supplement key points within the text. to engage with the material and by reinforcing • RSS Feed: Prominent sociology blogs are featured important content. in an RSS feed on the site. • Chapter Exercises: These lively and stimulating • CQ Researcher Articles: Full-length articles from ideas for use in and out of class reinforce active CQ Researcher cover important and relevant learning. The activities apply to individual or sociological topics. (This material is unique to group projects. SAGE books.)