200 CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY:A JOURNAL OF REVIEWS potential of change.They see the contem- The Tourist:A New Theory of the Leisure porary workplace as deadening and dehuman- Class,by DEAN MACCANNELL.New York: izing and focus on the possibilities of estab- Schocken Books,1976.214 pp.$12.95 lishing alternative institutions that link work cloth.$5.95 paper. and community together.Unlike many studies of counter-cultural communes,however, SUZANNE WEDOW theirs gives primary emphasis to work organi- SUNY/Stony Brook zation itself and devotes much less attention to other aspects of communal life.The pre- Dean MacCannell's The Tourist rings true, sentation is also more balanced and less uto- at least to this reviewer crossing the continent pian than that of other commentators,and during the Bicentennial summer of '76.In- points out the potentially alienating character- deed the terms tourist and sociologist seem istics of many communal workplaces and almost interchangeable in MacCannell's meta- tries to deal with the difficult problems of phoric commentary on the modern individual. efficiency that must face many such institu- This text,though,is more than a perceptive, tions. entertaining discussion of tourists and tour- The contents include twelve chapters di- ism:it is also a skillful blend of structuralist vided into three parts.The first of these in- thought,some of Marx's central tenets re- cludes a lengthy theoretical introduction,the addressed,semiotics,work manifesting the second an analysis of American cooperative spirit of Erving Goffman,Veblen,and even work experiments from the mid-nineteenth Ethnomethodology.This synthetic approach century to the present,and the third a laying- lends a new,and I think important,tone to out of the possibilities for change in the near traditional debates about high and low culture, future.Their attention,however,is not limited the impact of tourism on modern society, to the American experience.The authors in alienation and the workplace,the uses of two perceptive chapters deal with contempo- leisure,and the work of genuine theorizing rary experiments taking place in capitalist without pedantry. and socialist nations abroad.They do not, MacCannell has set out to understand the unfortunately,adequately deal with the na- fundamental unity or unities of modern so- tional sanction given many of these foreign ciety,a task Levi-Strauss foreswore.Para- workplace experiments nor compare them doxically he finds differentiation to be the with the out-of-the-mainstream nature of key term.Structural differentiation is a sys- communal work situations in this country. temic variable,its reality taken as a social This reflects the one serious criticism that fact.Tourism takes on the ritualistic func- might be made of an otherwise outstanding tions of commemorating history and place book:the Frenches'analysis lacks a political Differentiation,a key process in moderniza- dimension and fails to explain how humanistic tion,promotes new combinations of informa- work organization can develop in other than a tion and cultural products.Tourism spreads voluntaristic and individualistic fashion in this the word by dispersing individuals into set- country.Small work communes may serve the tings where new understandings can occur. needs of their members,but the focus on very The concept of the "dialectics of authen- small production units leaves untouched the ticity"is his attempt to answer a critique of lives of the vast majority of Americans who structuralism's static view of society.Modern- work in large,bureaucratized factories and ity is differentiation;but this is a process offices.Nor does their analysis deal with the which generates alternative realities.Material interrelations of communal work settings and and symbolic relations are constantly becom- the communities in which they reside.In ing assembled,exchanged and transformed some cities and towns,principally those par- into different realities,some of which compli- tially or fully dominated by colleges or uni- cate a claim he makes on behalf of tourists: versities,the institutionalization of work alter- that they seek more or less“authentic”ex- natives is beginning to affect community life. periences.The difficult issue for us all is Despite this reservation,French and French deciding which structures are genuine,which deserve high marks for the importance of are spurious.Differentiation produces both topic,and the grace of their writing.Few consensus and confusion. works so successfully integrate philosophical Interestingly,MacCannell spends a good issues with concrete examples.The book is deal of time discussing work.His comparative ideal both for introductory sociology courses analysis of guide books to Paris,for example, and for classes in the sociology of work and points to the transformation of work from a organization. primary source of alienation to alienated This content downloaded from 130.237.29.138 on Mon.14 Dec 2015 06:46:11 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions200 CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY: A JOURNAL OF REVIEWS potential of change. They see the contem￾porary workplace as deadening and dehuman￾izing and focus on the possibilities of estab￾lishing alternative institutions that link work and community together. Unlike many studies of counter-cultural communes, however, theirs gives primary emphasis to work organi￾zation itself and devotes much less attention to other aspects of communal life. The pre￾sentation is also more balanced and less uto￾pian than that of other commentators, and points out the potentially alienating character￾istics of many communal workplaces and tries to deal with the difficult problems of efficiency that must face many such institu￾tions. The contents include twelve chapters di￾vided into three parts. The first of these in￾cludes a lengthy theoretical introduction, the second an analysis of American cooperative work experiments from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, and the third a laying￾out of the possibilities for change in the near future. Their attention, however, is not limited to the American experience. The authors in two perceptive chapters deal with contempo￾rary experiments taking place in capitalist and socialist nations abroad. They do not, unfortunately, adequately deal with the na￾tional sanction given many of these foreign workplace experiments nor compare them with the out-of-the-mainstream nature of communal work situations in this country. This reflects the one serious criticism that might be made of an otherwise outstanding book: the Frenches' analysis lacks a political dimension and fails to explain how humanistic work organization can develop in other than a voluntaristic and individualistic fashion in this country. Small work communes may serve the needs of their members, but the focus on very small production units leaves untouched the lives of the vast majority of Americans who work in large, bureaucratized factories and offices. Nor does their analysis deal with the interrelations of communal work settings and the communities in which they reside. In some cities and towns, principally those par￾tially or fully dominated by colleges or uni￾versities, the institutionalization of work alter￾natives is beginning to affect community life. Despite this reservation, French and French deserve high marks for the importance of topic, and the grace of their writing. Few works so successfully integrate philosophical issues with concrete examples. The book is ideal both for introductory sociology courses and for classes in the sociology of work and organization. The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class, by DEAN MACCANNELL. New York: Schocken Books, 1976. 214 pp. $12.95 cloth. $5.95 paper. SUZANNE WEDOW SUNY/Stony Brook Dean MacCannell's The Tourist rings true, at least to this reviewer crossing the continent during the Bicentennial summer of '76. In￾deed the terms tourist and sociologist seem almost interchangeable in MacCannell's meta￾phoric commentary on the modern individual. This text, though, is more than a perceptive, entertaining discussion of tourists and tour￾ism; it is also a skillful blend of structuralist thought, some of Marx's central tenets re￾addressed, semiotics, work manifesting the spirit of Erving Goffman, Veblen, and even Ethnomethodology. This synthetic approach lends a new, and I think important, tone to traditional debates about high and low culture, the impact of tourism on modern society, alienation and the workplace, the uses of leisure, and the work of genuine theorizing without pedantry. MacCannell has set out to understand the fundamental unity or unities of modern so￾ciety, a task Levi-Strauss foreswore. Para￾doxically he finds differentiation to be the key term. Structural differentiation is a sys￾temic variable, its reality taken as a social fact. Tourism takes on the ritualistic func￾tions of commemorating history and place. Differentiation, a key process in moderniza￾tion, promotes new combinations of informa￾tion and cultural products. Tourism spreads the word by dispersing individuals into set￾tings where new understandings can occur. The concept of the "dialectics of authen￾ticity" is his attempt to answer a critique of structuralism's static view of society. Modern￾ity is differentiation; but this is a process which generates alternative realities. Material and symbolic relations are constantly becom￾ing assembled, exchanged and transformed into different realities, some of which compli￾cate a claim he makes on behalf of tourists: that they seek more or less "authentic" ex￾periences. The difficult issue for us all is deciding which structures are genuine, which are spurious. Differentiation produces both consensus and confusion. Interestingly, MacCannell spends a good deal of time discussing work. His comparative analysis of guide books to Paris, for example, points to the transformation of work from a primary source of alienation to alienated This content downloaded from 130.237.29.138 on Mon, 14 Dec 2015 06:46:11 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions