Watson, J. ( 2000 ) . “China ‘s Big Mac Attack.” Foreign Affairs, vol. 79 ( 3 ) , 120-134. Retrieved November 20 2009, fromhttp: //find.galegroup.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/gtx /start.do? prodId=ITOF & A ; userGroupName=utoronto_main
Fung, A. Lee, M. ( 2009 ) . “Localizing an amusement park: Hong Kong Disneyland.” Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, vol. 23 ( 2 ) , 197-208. Retrieved November 20 2009 from hypertext transfer protocol: //pdfserve.informaworld.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/39 3573_770885140_910302008.pdf
Globalization, an economic procedure of world-wide enlargement, has brought much cultural and social alteration around the universe, where its influence can be observed merely approximately anyplace. As modern times depict, many states are now accepting the blooming enlargement of the developed West, and have adopted a more cosmopolitan economic civilization – through mass media mercantile establishments such as telecasting and the cyberspace. Brand names, such as MacDonald ‘s have become planetary icons, embracing the planetary through cultural imperialism. In this paper, 2 articles will be critically compared, depicting two major multinational companies, McDonald ‘s and Disney, and their association with planetary civilization and how this societal alteration affects its people.
Both McDonalds and Disney are among the most money-making companies in America and besides draw consumers ‘ attending worldwide. McDonald ‘s has expanded its operations into many parts of China, runing 1000s of eating houses, with its largest in Beijing ( 28,000sq foot ) while Disney has built a big amusement park in Hong Kong, similar to the 1 in California. In the article “China ‘s Big Mac Attack” Watson references McDonalds can be localized, where the bill of fare alterations depending on the local civilization of culinary culinary arts, such as maize soup in Japan a McHuevo ( a Burger with fried egg ) in Montevideo. Similarly, Disneyland seems to hold brought its ain signifier of localisation, by back uping module who are able to talk English, Cantonese and Mandarin. A common thought between these two articles is the idea that China industry has tried their best to copy the scheme and merchandises of both McDonalds and Disney. Different eating houses are utilizing mascots similar to “Ronald” , utilizing the name-letter associations ( MacDonald ‘s = M ) , and holding their employees dress in a synchronised mode. However, when it comes to Disney, there are mills that produce third-party transcripts of Disney characters, either with defects of 1s that are illegal. Whatever the purpose, it creates image that is pulling consumers, chiefly kids, and act uponing top make a visit. By merely shoping the intelligence and the local media, American civilization is going the life of the current universe coevals of today, as it is more local that the traditions they were brought up on.
The Disneyland amusement park is non about every bit local as McDonalds. As it happens, the Chinese do non hold the same feeling of “place” when they compare the two. When one is taking the metro to Disneyland, the auto that you sit in has been outfitted with all sorts of Disney icons, from Mickey Mouse shaped Windowss to the imitations of Donald and Goofy. The rod Fe fencing makes Disneyland expression like an out-of-date metro station ; this ruins the “fun-loving experience” by demoing the consumers that they are merely take parting in a planetary civilization, non one that supports their ain. Fung and Lee province that the Hong Kong Disneyland adapts to the Chinese market by showing Disneyland ‘s planetary signifier. In contrast, McDonalds is doing the clients feel more local ; McDonalds is a common topographic point seniors to pass much of their forenoons reading the newspapers and sipping a cup of java at McDonalds. Besides, MacDonald ‘s allows an tremendous sum of local freedom to add extra bill of fare points, which furthers its connectivity to being localized and recognized as normal, instead than an American experience.
In the article, “China ‘s Big Mac Attack” , Watson explains that his decisions support the fact that the province the enlargement of McDonalds into China has non taken off excessively many traditional values, and has even benefited the state is some ways. Wherever McDonald ‘s takes root, the nucleus merchandise is non truly the nutrient, but the experience of feeding in a cheerful, air-conditioned, child-friendly eating house that offers the radical invention of clean lavatories ( Watson, 2000, pp. 3 ) . Evidence, such as societal and demographic information, shows that most consumers at a local McDonalds did n’t recognize that it was from the US. In a related incident, a group of Korean pupils were on a holiday in Boston. When they decided to travel out and to look for some “home food” they recognized, they found McDonalds alternatively of a Korean eating house ( Watson, 2000, pp. 12-13 ) . This shows the degree of societal credence that McDonalds has been able to accomplish. The enlargement of McDonalds into China has brought up certain ethical values that challenge the regulations of interaction. This includes things such as run alonging up to buy nutrient, instead than holding a server semen and function you at your tabular array. McDonald ‘s has bit by bit become a pillar of the middle-class civilization.
“Localizing an amusement park: Hong Kong Disneyland” , written by Fung & A ; Lee, concludes by showing grounds gathered from multiple visits to the Hong Kong Disneyland park, which shows that local occupants and visitants from Asia understand how planetary ingestion plants. Fung claims there was an case in which the American employees at the Disneyland in Hong Kong discriminated against the Chinese visitants ; wherein a presentation was held in 3 different shows: English, Cantonese, and one in Mandarin. During the English session, the performing artists were really friendly and by and large good behaved. However during the Cantonese version, an off colour gag was made by articulating an audience member ‘s name in a Citrus reticulata speech pattern – a societal faux pas. Thingss worsened during the Mandarin matinee, as Fung writes, a certain performing artist in costume had a facial look that was for the most portion angry, when it confronted a immature audience member, a kid, and made him call. For tourers from mainland China, nevertheless, the park offers a opportunity for them to presume the function of draw a bead oning planetary consumers, an experience that province control prevents them from holding in their day-to-day lives. One illustration that shows how the Chinese are given a manufactured experience, as stated by Fung and Lee: a state of affairs where many visitants to the Hong Kong Disneyland went on a drive called “The many escapades of Winnie the Pooh.” Strangely, full narrative is explained in English, go forthing the mainland Chinese confused. As the bigger image shows, they are non acquiring their money ‘s worth ; they ‘re merely going more like the planetary consumer of the modern age.
Multi-national companies, such as McDonalds and Disney, continue to advance a new coevals of cultural icons in the modern societal ambiance, whether they ‘re needed or non. The impact of globalisation is increasing quickly throughout the universe, and in some instances it takes off the local value of tradition and civilization off from a specific part. Ancient belief systems that are rooted in faiths such as Confucianism, and Taoism, are unifying with Western political orientations, making a new balance of consumerism and pick. However, this imperialistic enlargement has a Ag liner, one where it has been really good, conveying in societal alteration against the norm, globalising on a local sense. By utilizing extracts from “China ‘s Big Mac Attack” and “Localizing an amusement park: Hong Kong Disneyland” , where their writers severally conclude that American civilization is both a wickedness and a approval, one can understand the fierceness of a foreign civilization, and inquire how they are being effected in a non so different manner.
