George Ritzer

George Ritzer (born October 14, 1940) is a sociologist who studies American patterns of consumption, globalization, metatheory, and modern and postmodern social theory. Currently, Ritzer is Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland.

Globalization - A Basic Text (2010)

 * The ways in which these economic processes, largely originating in the US, have, in short order, flowed around the world is breathtaking and, unfortunately, well illustrates this book's major themes.
 * Preface, p. xiii


 * Marx's insight of a century-and-a-half ago was not only highly prescient, but is far truer today than in Marx's day.
 * Chapter 1, Global Liquids, Flows, and Structures, p. 6


 * One important point about the idea that there are multiple globalizations is the fact that it further complicates the whole idea of finding a point of origin for globalization.
 * Chapter 2, Global Issues, Debates, and Controversies, p. 47


 * The polar view, as it was for Marx, is that it was not material factors, but rather ideal factors, that are the main drivers of globalization.
 * Chapter 2, Global Issues, Debates, and Controversies, p. 47


 * Cultural imperialism involved, among many other things, exploration, missionary and humanitarian missions, travel, and the use of education and publishing to disseminate European ideas.
 * Chapter 3, Related Processes I: Imperialism, Colonialism, and More, p. 67


 * In the end, the key point is that in gaining a better understanding of these processes, we gain a more nuanced and sophisticated sense of the fundamental nature of globalization.
 * Chapter 3, Related Processes I: Imperialism, Colonialism, and More, p. 80


 * One cannot understand globalization, and many of its problems, without understanding neo-liberalism.
 * Chapter 5, Neo-Liberalism and Neo-Marxian Alternatives, p. 110


 * Free markets induce a natural collective reaction by society.
 * Chapter 5, Neo-Liberalism and Neo-Marxian Alternatives, p. 136
 * It was the mass sale and distribution of novels and newspapers that was critical to the rise of the imagined nation.
 * Chapter 6, Global Political Structures and Processes, p. 148


 * While the US was hegemonic in the era of geopolitics, it is greatly weakened as globalization competes with, and gains ascendancy over, geopolitics.
 * Chapter 6, Global Political Structures and Processes, p. 149


 * If states themselves are less able to handle various responsibilities, this leaves open the possibility of the emergence of some form of global governance to fill the void.
 * Chapter 6, Global Political Structures and Processes, p. 157


 * The system is run by the few with the few as the main beneficiaries. Most of the people in the world have no say in these systems and are either not helped or are adversely affected by them.
 * Chapter 7, Structuring the Global Economy, p. 189


 * Globalization can also be seen as flow of "nothing" (as opposed to "something"), involving the spread of non-places, non-things, non-people and non-services.
 * Chapter 9, Global Culture and Cultural Flows, p. 275


 * What defines Web 2.0 is the fact that the material on it is generated by the users (consumers) rather than the producers of the system. Thus, those who operate on Web 2.0 can be called prosumers because they simultaneously produce what they consume such as the interaction on Facebook and the entries on Wikipedia.
 * Chapter 10, High-Tech Global Flows and Structures, p. 290


 * It is increasingly difficult to find examples of warfare that are unaffected by globalization.
 * Chapter 13, Negative Global Flows: Crime, Terrorism, War, and More, p. 390


 * It is also often argued that neo-liberalism, especially neo-liberal economics, helps those in the advantaged categories and hurts, often badly, those in the disadvantaged categories.
 * Chapter 15, Global Inequalities II: Global Majority-Minority Relations, p. 436


 * Globalization reinforces preexisting gender structures, barriers, and relationships, only now on a global scale.
 * Chapter 15, Global Inequalities II: Global Majority-Minority Relations, p. 455


 * Of course, it remains to be seen what the effect of the Great Recession will be on resistance to globalization. It seems clear, however, that if the recession grows deeper and extends over a long period of time, it will spur much greater resistance to globalization.
 * Chapter 16, Dealing with, Resisting, and the Futures of Globalization, p. 499