If McDonald's was a super
hero, what would it's super
power be?
Your task
What evidence exists of a Global Culture?
Is this a positive or negative?
At the end of the lesson your task will be
to design an image that represents the
existing ‘global culture’ You should also
write a paragraph to explain your image.
Superpower Geographies
2. Impacts and influences of Superpowers
a) The changes from colonial rule to indirect neo-colonial rule
b) Key roles in international decision making, policy and
action
c) Control of trade
d) Superpower influence in the idea of developing a ‘global
culture’
Learning Objectives:
• Understand that the superpower influence extends to the idea
of a developing ‘global culture’
• Identify the issues that this has created in some groups
Ref Green Text Book
Followers of modernisation theory viewed
traditional cultures as ‘pre-modern’ and
in some ways a barrier to development.
The dominance of the USA as an
unrivalled superpower since 1990, plus
the growing power of the EU has led
some people to identify a global culture.
It is difficult to define.
What would you define Global Culture as?
What is “Global Culture”?
Is global culture simply……
• American cultural imperialism?
• the spread of American consumer
culture?
• the McDonaldization of the World?
• YES, AND NO
Some characteristics
• A culture of consumerism
• A culture of capitalism and the
importance of attaining wealth.
• A white, Anglo-Saxon culture where
English is the dominant language.
• A culture that ‘cherry picks’ and adapts
selected parts of other world culture
and absorbs them
Americanisation
Consumer icons such as Coca-Cola and
Mcdonalds – Global Symbols
Thailand
South Carolina
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Singapore
China
South Africa
Russia
Italy
Global McDonalds
• McDonald's franchises and operates more
than 32,000 fast-food restaurants in over
100 countries.
• Europe ... $7,072 (35% of total company
revenues)
• United States ... $6,955 (34%)
• Australia/Asia Asia-Pacific ... $2,815 (14%)
• Latin America ... $1,327 (6%)
• Canada ... $948 (5%)
• Other ... $1,343 (6%)
McDonald’s Culture
• McDonaldization refers to "the principles of
the fast-food restaurant coming to dominate
more and more sectors of American society
as well as of the rest of the world. world.”
(Ritzer Ritzer)
McDonald’s Emphasizes
• Efficiency
• Calculability
• Predictability
• Control
Advantages of McDonaldization (Ritzer)
• A wider range of goods and services is
available to a much larger portion of the
population.
• People are able to get what they want or
need almost instantaneously.
• Fast, efficient goods and services are
available to a population that is working
longer hours and has fewer hours to spare.
• In a rapidly changing, unfamiliar, and
seemingly hostile world, there is comfort in
the comparatively stable, familiar, and safe
environment of a McDonaldized system.
•
Glocalisation
Cultural Globalisation is not quite as
straightforward as it might first
appear….in India, McDonalds has had to
adapt its menu to suit local tastesthroughout the world this process of
local adaptation or hybridisation occurs
as global trends reach new areas..
Cultural Traffic – Choo Choo
Is everyone happy?
Anti-Americanisation rose in the
aftermath of the invasion of Iraq. The
anti-globalisation movement is often
linked with anti-Americanisation as
many global cultural icons originate in
the USA
Your task
What evidence exists of a Global Culture?
Is this a positive or negative?
At the end of the lesson your task will be
to design an image that represents the
existing ‘global culture’ You should also
write a paragraph to explain your image.
Plenary
• Is there any parts of your life or
culture that you would not want to be
Mcdonaldised?