Andy Creighton

In this article I develop sociologist George Ritzer’s concept ‘simulated animal’ by focusing on rational systems, enchantment, and nonhuman animal corporeality and behaviour. I argue that simulated animals are nonhumans controlled, structured, or represented within consumer contexts. From this I develop what I am calling ‘simulated umwelt’. Simulated umwelt, as a concept, is a synthesis of zoosemiotics with Ritzer’s work and focuses on nonhuman animals’ experiences and representations within rationalized settings and consumer representation. This is accomplished by applying umwelt theory and analysis to the subjective experiential aspect of simulated animals via umwelt construction, in the ongoing pursuit of descriptive and critical approaches to nonhuman animals closely connected to consumption. I conclude by emphasizing the utility of simulated umwelt reconstruction for facilitating “truly” intersubjective descriptions of nonhuman experience.

This Festschrift text presents my experiences with George Ritzer's writings, mainly regarding how they ‘mentored’ and influenced my own relationship to sociology and wider academics. I demonstrate this impact by discussing the influence of Ritzer's texts on my personal development as a student. I also examine some of the sociologist's key concepts and their paramount position within my PhD work on McDonaldization, enchantment, animals and semiotics; his work helped guide my research, which is essentially a synthesis of the sociologist's and zoosemiotic theory. Lastly, the text brings attention to the importance of Ritzer's writings being relatable, critical and an important means to understanding contemporary societies.