Golden Arches

[x2cool]

I was in my geography class a few days ago and the professor started talking about how McDonald's affects the culture in countries . He gave an example of how when the first McDonald's in Russia was built, they had to have a person sitting out side telling the customers that employee's were not laughing at them but were happy to see them. Anyway, my question is, how do you think McDonald's has affected the cultural norms in the countries that they have been built? Is it sort of forcing American culture on other countries, and has it?

[MMM]

Since when did McDonald's = American Culture?

[Jaydelart]

I was more confused by how having a restaurant opened would be considered forcing culture on another country.

[steamboatsam]

I don't see how a resturant could force a culture on another one? If the resturant is based on a different culture that someone doesn't like, couldn't the person just choose not eat their? I can see that it might influence another culture but not force it.

[x2cool]

Well, for example, say McDonalds opened up in a country that has been able to maintain its own culture that has lasted for hundreds of years. If a McDonald's is built there, wont other companies start to come in and build their buildings, won't this affect the architecture, if people there like McDonald's and how the restaurant is like, won't they start saying, "Hey, how come the other restaurant's are not like this?" Won't this force business owners in the area to change? And since McDonald's was started in America, I only assumed that maybe there are some American elements in "McDonald's".

[steamboatsam]

What your talking about sounds more like influencing than forcing. That question would probably be brought up, but that doesn't mean that the other buisnesses have to change like the one is liked the most. besides, the same thing could be said about the other places. Someone could really like the place and then ask "why isn't the McDonald's like this place." Plus I didn't even think McDonald's had a cultural theme. The only american thing I can think of that it has is the food.

[x2cool]

Well as for the culture thing, it brought burgers didn't it? I mean in some countries they would never have eaten food with their hands and not utensils, right? It's a small thing but it's something right?

[steamboatsam]

True, but you can still eat hamburgers with a knife and fork (I used to use a fork to eat french fries). The changes would be so small that they would either.

1) accept it by begining to eat with their hands, and start eating beef thats between two pieces of bread (that is what a hamburger is in a nutshell)

B) partially accept it by eating the food and not use their hands (or vice-versa)

III) Not accept it and the resturant would close due to lack of business, or change their menu to what is considered acceptable.

Besides, doesn't Mcdonalds usually try to blend into the culture now days? I remember seeing a picture of a McDonald's in china and it looked like an old style chinese building (it might have been that building used to be an old style chinese house, but I don't know)

[Jaydelart]

Originally Posted by x2cool

Well, for example, say McDonalds opened up in a country that has been able to maintain its own culture that has lasted for hundreds of years. If a McDonald's is built there, wont other companies start to come in and build their buildings, won't this affect the architecture, if people there like McDonald's and how the restaurant is like, won't they start saying, "Hey, how come the other restaurant's are not like this?" Won't this force business owners in the area to change? And since McDonald's was started in America, I only assumed that maybe there are some American elements in "McDonald's".

I'm no businessman, but doesn't McDonald's have to have permission to expand into a country before anything? They have no obvious political power, and I would assume they couldn't just invade a random country without some form of consent from that country's goverment.

It's probably true, the style of the restaurant or food, if never before seen by the people, would have an impact on people's impression of restaraunts. But that seems like an issue of willingness. Referring back to the first point: If it was determined that being open to the new concept was detrimental to society, they probably wouldn't have allowed it. Otherwise, I can hardly consider having new influences a bad thing... unless, possibly, I were communist?

[x2cool]

I'm not saying new influences is a bad thing, just that they may lead to some things being forgotten. And I think McDonald's does have political power, I mean doesn't money kind of translate into political power? And if they were able to get a McDonald's in Tiananmen Square, don't you think McDonald's can put their stuff wherever they want?