Fantasy City - Pleasure and Profit in the Postmodern Metropolis

Fantasy City analyses the post-industrialist city as a site of entertainment. By discussing examples from a wide variety of venues, including casinos, malls, heritage developments and theme parks, Hannigan questions urban entertainments economic foundations and historical background. He asks whether such areas of fantasy destroy communities or instead create new groupings of shared identities and experiences. The book is written in a student friendly way with boxed case studies for class discussion.

List of contents

Introduction; Part 1 Going out and Staying in; Chapter 1 “At Prices all can Afford”; Chapter 2 Don't Go Out Tonight; Chapter 3 “Cities are Fun”; Part 2 Landscapes of Pleasure; Chapter 4 “Sanitized Razzmatazz”; Chapter 5 Shopertainment, Eatertainment, Edutainment; Part 3 Entertaining Developments; Chapter 6 The “Weenie” and the “Genie”; Chapter 7 Calling the Shots; Chapter 8 Gambling on Fantasy; Chapter 9 Land of the Rising Fun; Chapter 10 Saved by a Mouse?;

About the author

John Hannigan is Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto. He is the author of Environmental Sociology also published by Routledge.

Summary

Fantasy City is an anlaysis of the postindustrial city as a site of entertaiment. By discussing examples from a wide variety of venues the author questions urban entertainment's economic foundations and historical background.

Additional text

'Hannigan provides a coherent and well-researched account of the flight of entertainment centres into the suburbs during the 1950s.' - Puncture (music magazine)

Product details

• Authors: John Hannigan
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.10.1998
• EAN: 9780415150989
• ISBN: 978-0-415-15098-9
• No. of pages: 256
• Series: Routledge Research in Cultural
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; Sociology, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / General, HISTORY / Social History, Society & culture: general, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / Urban, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Holidays (non-religious), Sociology: sport and leisure, Social and cultural history, Society and culture: general