Globalization
Globalization of Food and Culture
Trevor Reinhardt
ANTH 0780
McDonald’s vs. Culture: Who Influences Who the Most?
McDonald’s is a major fast food restaurant known by millions of people worldwide. One of the places McDonald’s has expanded to is Hong Kong. After reading the article “ McDonald’s in Hong Kong: Consumerism, Dietary Change, and the Rise of a Children’s Culture,” written by James Watson, and consulting globalism in our textbook, I will take a closer look at the globalizing influences of a fast food restaurant on Hong Kong’s culture. McDonald’s, a well-respected restaurant, not only changes the culture of Hong Kong, but McDonald’s is also impacted by the culture as well.
According to our textbook, “globalization, in anthropology, is the rapid spread of economic, social, and cultural systems across continents” (Lenkeit 305). Globalizing influences are a two-sided affair. In short, businesses and consumers influence or “train” each other. For example, we will take a look at McDonald’s impact on surrounding businesses and consumers in Hong Kong, as well as, the culture of Hong Kong and its influence on the McDonald’s restaurant. One major area of impact was on the cleanliness and sanitation of the place of business and restroom. In the article, I was appalled to read that “a visit to any Hong Kong restaurant’s toilet (save for those in fancy hotels) could best be described as an adventure” (1998: 89-90). I could not even imagine going to a restaurant and using a restroom that was not clean. However, I believe that this expectation of restroom cleanliness is part of our culture and not the culture in Hong Kong. At the McDonald’s in Hong Kong various workers, when asked to clean a toilet, “would protest that was already cleaner than the one in their own home” (1998: 89-90). I do not know about you, but I know that the bathroom in my house is pretty clean and I would never use a bathroom that was dirtier than my own. Watson goes on to mention
Trevor Reinhardt
ANTH 0780
McDonald’s vs. Culture: Who Influences Who the Most?
McDonald’s is a major fast food restaurant known by millions of people worldwide. One of the places McDonald’s has expanded to is Hong Kong. After reading the article “ McDonald’s in Hong Kong: Consumerism, Dietary Change, and the Rise of a Children’s Culture,” written by James Watson, and consulting globalism in our textbook, I will take a closer look at the globalizing influences of a fast food restaurant on Hong Kong’s culture. McDonald’s, a well-respected restaurant, not only changes the culture of Hong Kong, but McDonald’s is also impacted by the culture as well.
According to our textbook, “globalization, in anthropology, is the rapid spread of economic, social, and cultural systems across continents” (Lenkeit 305). Globalizing influences are a two-sided affair. In short, businesses and consumers influence or “train” each other. For example, we will take a look at McDonald’s impact on surrounding businesses and consumers in Hong Kong, as well as, the culture of Hong Kong and its influence on the McDonald’s restaurant. One major area of impact was on the cleanliness and sanitation of the place of business and restroom. In the article, I was appalled to read that “a visit to any Hong Kong restaurant’s toilet (save for those in fancy hotels) could best be described as an adventure” (1998: 89-90). I could not even imagine going to a restaurant and using a restroom that was not clean. However, I believe that this expectation of restroom cleanliness is part of our culture and not the culture in Hong Kong. At the McDonald’s in Hong Kong various workers, when asked to clean a toilet, “would protest that was already cleaner than the one in their own home” (1998: 89-90). I do not know about you, but I know that the bathroom in my house is pretty clean and I would never use a bathroom that was dirtier than my own. Watson goes on to mention
Cited: Lenkeit, Roberta 2012 Introducing Cultural Anthropology. New York: McGraw-Hill. Watson, James. 1998 McDonald 's in Hong Kong: Consumerism, Dietary Change, and the Rise of a Children 's Culture. In Golden Arches East: McDonald’s in East Asia. James Watson, ed. Pp. 77-109: Stanford University Press