McDonalds stands for American cultural imperialism Essays

McDonalds stands for American cultural imperialism Essays McDonalds stands for American cultural imperialism Paper McDonalds stands for American cultural imperialism Paper J. , 1989, argues that there are people who refer McDonalds as a mixture of all that is Vulgar in American culture (cited in Ritzer, 1996). Emerald Group Publishing limited (2007) has published that even though McDonalds is trying to create the company image as an ethical company promoting diversity, concern for the planet and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices however the biggest argument against McDonalds is inherent in its global position that anti global activist see as the crux of the problem. However while taking side of cultural imperialism David Rothkopf, 1997 state that, the vanishing of cultural distinctions might be a sign of progress of civilisation and a tangible sign of enhanced communication and understanding. The famous McLibel case was followed closely by different social activist, however Campbell K. et al (2001) found that the McLibel case did not had a measurable negative impact on McDonalds. But still the critics of fast food and McDonalds in particular are diverse such as farmer, leftist, anarchist, nationalist, environmentalists, consumer advocates, health officials, labour unions and defenders of animal rights. The reason for their targeting the fast food restaurant chain of McDonalds is so ubiquitous, for that it threatens the fundamental aspects of national identity i. e. how, where and what people eat (Campbell et al, 2001). Accordingly Storey (1993), recommends that people, as active participant of local culture should be educated for selecting or rejecting new changes in culture, making meaning, attributing values to the developments in the culture etc. On the other side the growing Americanisation of the world is very oblivious and it is expressed through growing popularity of the movies, music videos, television shows, clothing and the Fast food restaurants like McDonalds from the United States (Schlosser, 2002). Higher income, busier lifestyle, the ease of availability storage, and greater variety in food choices have all resulted in repeat patronage to Fast food restaurants like McDonalds (Veeck et al, 2000). At the same time due to the transitional culture a large number of people are nowadays systematically and directly involved in more than one culture and this has certain amount of influence on the type of lifestyle that appeals to people (Hannerz, 1990). The study by Curtis et al (2007), found that presence of female gender, higher income levels, younger adults, the existence of children in the home and the positive opinion concerning the taste of the western food are the determining factors for the choices of type of food people make. According to Jones et al (2002), McDonalds provide consumers value for money-meals and also to some extent it is identified with an active commitment to community values and community activities. Curtis et al, (2007) observes that the increased consumption of western style convenience food in urban centres is likely the result of modernisation of the consumer preferences, where the consumption of imported foods, is viewed as a sign of modern living. He also argues that McDonalds provide a moderate cost solution for families looking for a modern dining experience, the new form of entertainment in china. In a study Watson (1997) found that there has been a change in the target audience of McDonalds. For example twenty years ago McDonalds catered to children of Hong Kongs wealthy elite however these elite have abandoned McDonalds and have moved to up Market to more expensive places. As a result McDonalds have turned to be a mainstay for working class people, who are attracted by its low cost, convenience, and predictability. However McDonalds annual report in 2006 has presented many facts about company which try to provide justification for its global position and also shed some light on the organisations involvement with local communities for their welfare through employment opportunities, Health education, safety trainings, educational scholarships, and environmental practices. It is worth noticing that McDonalds ( its owner) invest more than $1 Billion annually on employee training and development to create a platform for opportunities and growth for its employees (McDonalds Report, 2006). The company is proud to express the fact that 40% of its staff began their career at the restaurant (McDonalds Annual Report, 2005). McDonalds celebrate diversity in terms of employee backgrounds. 20% McDonalds employees are African and approximately 25% of all McDonalds owner/operator are minorities. McDonalds have secured number one position in Business Magazine for Hispanic, 2005 for its efforts to champion diversity in every aspect of the business. The company is also deeply involved and concerned for the communities in which it operates. For example Taiwan hygiene programme that teaches hand washing skills to children, New Zealand seat belt safety programme, US sue the dinosaur programme, Netherland Ronald sports programme, Russia fire prevention programme, Australia cancer education, McDonalds education Scholarship for children. In the past McDonalds have received more than 60 awards for corporate responsibility and environmental leadership that includes place among 50 best employers in 2006 Canada, best employer of the year in Brazil 2005, Latin America one of the best place to work 2005, Environmental leadership award (2001), corporate conservation leadership award, animal welfare award, toy safety award. According to Adams (2006), who is one of executive officer at McDonalds McDonalds make deliberate choices concerning our food quality, available menu, choices, visibility of nutrition information, and educational message on energy balance and claim that these efforts demonstrate their commitment to the consumers health and wellbeing. McDonalds offers efficiency for consumers which means it is a best available way to get from being hungry to being full (Adams, 2006). It also offers the calculability in terms of portion size, cost and time required to get the product. One can predict the quality and service of the product over the time in all locations (Ritzer, 1996). As a way to avoid the fear of American imperialism, McDonalds tries to purchase as much food as possible from the countries where it operates (Schlosser, 2002). Silverstone (1995) in his paper has cited the criticism made by Lyon, Taylor, and Smith, about George Ritzers belief that the impact of McDonalds on society is essentially bad and they see such a perspective as a biased. They argue that McDonalds is serving a useful role on the high street and it can be seen as slick satisfaction of consumers needs. Silverstone, (1995) has also referred to the McDonalds reaction to the charge of providing unhealthy food that their product form part of an overall balanced diet (McDonalds Food: The Fact, 1994). It should not be ignored that McDonalds places the nutrition information in easy to read graphic format on the packaging for the consumers to understand their dietary requirements (McDonalds Annual Report, 2006). Since the underlying values of the target audience have changed, McDonalds could not solely rely on convenience and product consistency as a unique selling point (Schroder et al, 2005). Watson, 1997 too agrees that in post modern upbringing the boundaries of the status, style, and taste dissolve almost as fast as they are formed. What is in today is out tomorrow as a result McDonalds is giving strong corporate emphasis on consumer health, quality and socially responsible initiatives must be taken (Schroder et al, 2005). According to study carried out by Emerald Group Publishing limited (2007), McDonalds have made significant changes in its product line to reflect todays healthy eating concerns and the more sophisticated taste of twenty first century consumers. In conclusion, due to its phenomenal growth, McDonalds does represent American cultural imperialism. The domination of American culture in the rest of the world has helped McDonalds Corporation in its tremendous growth and consequently McDonalds has strengthened the power of American culture in the world. It shows that the relationship between American cultural domination and the growth of McDonalds is positive. However from the companys point of view, McDonalds offers the world the service that satisfies the consumers needs with due consideration to ethical issues. And for consumers it is an affordable and convenient way of experiencing the modern living. However anti-globalisation activists resist McDonalds for the adverse effects it has on native cultures and argue that the culture represented by McDonalds is inappropriate for the common masses. After considering different perspectives it can be concluded that McDonalds does represent American cultural imperialism but it can not essentially be seen as bad or good for the nations of the world. However, consideration should be given to the importance of native culture, the role it plays in peoples life and the effect of American culture on developing countries where such American influence is not suitable.