George Ritzer Award Statement
George
Ritzer stands out for his creation of original materials that greatly
enhance the teaching of introductory sociology, sociological theory,
organizations, and social problems. Many faculty realize the profound
impact his books such as The
McDonaldization of Society and Enchanting a Disenchanted World have had on undergraduate teaching and learning, while also reaching beyond the academy. His numerous textbooks, including
Sociological Theory, Modern Social Theory, Classical Sociological Theory, and Postmodern Social Theory,
have clarified abstract sociological concepts and theories for
generations of undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty,
rendering “the most complex issues intelligible with disarming
lucidity” and providing invaluable bridges to the original works.
Ritzer’s contributions to teaching have been further advanced by his
essays on teaching, extensive editorial work leading to the production
of new teaching materials, and numerous public lectures in the United
States and abroad.