In what ways do we think of globalization - econonmic, cultural? To what extent do the financial benefits of globalization threaten indigenous and/or traditional ways of life - whether that be lingustic, religious, or other? And, how do we begin to define indigenous and/or traditional ways of life?
McDonald's and Coca-Cola are certainly the two most ubiquitous exports of the United States, but does their presence in another country signal the cultural invasion of America? I'd love to read some comments. I'll be posting more pics and thoughts on this in the next week...
In what ways do we think of globalization - econonmic, cultural? To what extent do the financial benefits of globalization threaten indigenous and/or traditional ways of life - whether that be lingustic, religious, or other? And, how do we begin to define indigenous and/or traditional ways of life?
2 comments:
While McDonalds and Coke are thought of as "American" I think it is more of a business strategy than a cultural invasion. Obviously the bigwigs feel this is a market they can profit on, so clearly they will set a foundation in a variety of countries. It is not until you start seeing numerous types of "Americana" present (ie sports paraphanelia, clothing, food, travel ads etc) that I would say it is a cultural invasion.
With that being said even with these types of companies moving in it is still possible for countries to keep their identity. I have heard of numerous mcdonalds serving more local fare than just burgers. This not only helps acclamate the consumer but also grounds the business as not just American but International. Who knows if this is succeeding world wide. Whats your local input?
Bill -
Thanks for the comment. I realize I have been a bit remiss in keeping the blog updated, but I'm giving it my best the last few weeks.
Interesting suggestion that there may be a difference between sound "business strategy" and the imposition of cultural paradigms.
Yes, I have seen McDonald's with local variations and also some cultural sensitivity (i.e., no meat in India). This seems like good business strategy. However, is the line that easy to draw?
I think you raise an interesting way of looking at the situation: what is the product - the food or the American label? And even if the food is the primary product, is there such a thing as "cultural capital"?
I need to take a few pictures of the shopping centers here and will add some more comments then.
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