Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: George Ritzer has done much to theorize the (r)evolution of consumption settings through his work on McDonaldization (2004b), the means of consumption (2005), and most recently nothing and something (2004a). I will draw especially from his notions of “cathedrals of consumption” and “landscapes of consumption” to theorize a new consumption geography – a community of consumption. This paper will make the argument that consumption settings have evolved from cathedrals (places to visit on special occasions) to communities (places in which we make our homes) and thus that consumption settings are achieving a full vertical integration of our daily lives.