Prague

1
Social Organizations From Bureaucracy to McDonald
s to Wal-Mart Final clip from Frontline Is Wal-
Mart Good for America? Discussion Wal-Mart Pros
and Cons The Broader Context Neoliberalism A Ca
se Study The Privatization of Water in Bolivia
Prague
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Paradigms of Social Organizations
Max Weber Bureaucracy (Rationalization)
George Ritzter McDonalds (The McDonaldization
of Society) Is Wal-Mart the new paradigmatic ca
se?
3
Final clip of Frontline Is Wal-Mart Good for
America?
Discussion Wal-Mart pros and cons Does Wal-Mar
t represent a fundamentally new type of corporate
organization?
4
The Broader Context Neoliberalism
Start with question The film notes that
Wal-Marts success has been based on the rise of
information technology and the explosion of the
global economy. Discuss Were other, broader, co
ntextual changes involved?
5
Neoliberalisms Basic Tenets Faith in markets as
the best mechanism for allocating resources
Hostility to government intervention or
regulation in economic affairs
Belief in the benefits of free trade
Privatization, deregulation and support for the
World Trade Organization (WTO) as central policies
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Case Study More than bottled water the attempt t
o privatize the water supply in Cochabamba,
Bolivia
Video clip from NOW