Global Culture: McDonalds in Moscow and Coke in China - Case Study Example

McDonalds in Moscow and Coke in China will do more to create a global culture than military colonization could ever do' Benjamin Barber Introduction Russia and China have had a great market commanding, across many nations and continents, of their products be it technology, foodstuffs or energy just to name a few. However, some of their products originate from America’s giant companies like the Coca Cola and the McDonalds food company. This great influence of America’s products in countries like Russia and China, countries held as super powers by the developing countries, contributes a lot in enhancing cohesion and integration of states to the formation of a global culture. Australia is one of the counties on the receiving end of these products especially from the America’s food giant, McDonalds, having its affiliates in Russia and the importation of Coca Cola from China (Bessant and Watts 311). The contribution of these products to the global culture is so great that many indigenous cultures are fading away while adapting these new cultures. Trade is one of the principal uniting aspects for nations and provides a greater contribution towards a global culture than military colonisation could ever achieve. By the constant utilisation of global products, a culture is defined that overshadows unknowingly the predominant culture of any country, and instead develops a unifying culture influenced by technology, trade and social integration (Pierterse 51). Market Influence The expansion of the McDonalds Company and the Coca Cola Company in China has seen an immense growth of many nations’ economies through integrated market imperatives. Through advertising their products, McDonalds have to strive and communicate using the different languages of their target markets. By having McDonalds establish an affiliate company in Russia, and develop it to a market leader, a lot of integration of the American culture into the Russian is resolute. This acceptance, use and diversification of different cultural backgrounds through language cohesion cause unity and integration amongst all stakeholders concerned. This imperative emphasises the need for peace and stability among nations by unifying market products and commodities. Comparing this impact with that projected for military colonisation, the market's imperative contribution towards international cohesion and integration is greater (Featherstone 7). This is because a global culture for the market imperative is defined unconsciously as opposed to military colonisation, which applies intimidation and force as the influential tools for a global culture. While resistance is highly expected to occur against military colonisation, globalising markets and trade by giant markets enjoy a smooth acceptance and adoption from all quarters (Featherstone 7) The use of global products in everyday life creates unity and similarities across the globe, with shoppers developing common interests and tastes that cover the need for personal descriptions based on race, religion, ethnicity, nationality and indigenous cultures. For this reason, it can be seen that through the expansion of McDonalds in Moscow and the Coca Cola Company in China; their products unify and develop a new culture based on interests, tastes, objectives and prosperity while the former cultures of race, religion, ethnicity and nationality are overshadowed and are becoming slowly forgotten (Bessant and Watts 311). Information Technology The establishment of a Coca Cola Company in China invites massive technological developments. During the soft drinks production process, both the brand and country’s standards have to be met and this requires the establishment of an up-to-date technology by the company. The technology has to be based on the parent’s company specifications to produce similar products and this integrates the many cultures involved. The information technology includes both telecommunication and information systems which builds a common culture among all the countries involved at which the Chinese Coca Cola company trades with many Asian countries and hence unifying their culture. During the production process, certain technologies are used to conserve the environment from getting polluted, a technology adapted by all the Coca Cola Companies all over the world and hence establishing a global culture based on information technology. The McDonalds Company on its part has many franchises, Australia having one of them. The technology used in the production of these foodstuffs has to remain the same in all nations for a unified brand of products. Therefore, this unified technology by global companies ensures that there is harmony among the different countries involved and an eventual generation of a global culture (Zajda 179). The companies involved in global trade have to address the issue of a safe environment for their acceptance into the international market (Zajda 180). Therefore, it is through addressing these environmental concerns that a common culture is cultivated that eliminates bases of ethnicity, nationality and other cultural diversification. The activities in both McDonalds and the Coca Cola Company in Russia and China respectively, require integrated and the most advanced technology for smooth flow in information and communication. The running of these industries depends on innovations from science and technology for a better growth. This advancement in technology occurs concurrently across all the companies’ subsidiaries and this unifies the different cultures and merges them under a common phenomenon, technology (Morales-Gomez, and international development research centre (Canada) 33). The brand names developed and dispatched of these commodities influence other cultures on their superiority and compel through competition and usage the other cultures to adopt these new commodity cultures and hence creating a common broad culture. Resource Influence The establishment of the Coca Cola Company in China was meant to utilise the available resources in China. The use and relation of certain products based on their background is important in unifying and sharing different cultural experiences and backgrounds. People tend to have different tastes for different products due to the origin of the raw materials or of the brand name. The association of products with their origin increases cohesion among the global markets. Therefore, by having Coca Cola Company in China, there is the sharing of resources with the other Coca Cola companies around the world. The case is the same for McDonalds which has to rely on the Russian raw materials like wheat to produce the foodstuffs. This utilisation of resources by the investing companies in Russia and China creates unique brands that unify the different cultures around the world. When there is depletion of resources in different countries, what follows is a common interest aimed at regulating for environmental degradation through total exploitation of resources (Nanda, and Warms 236). For a military colonisation, the focus would be to exploit resources for the betterment of their maiden country. Colonisation is not about sharing but about exploiting and forcing down the throats which discourages cohesion and encourages tension and conflict. By having giant companies like the McDonalds and the Coca Cola Company being established in countries like Russia and China means that there is utilisation of resources by the parent companies in this country. This utilisation encourages trade and international cohesion as well as building a global culture by encouraging the usage of products manufactured using other countries’ resources. If a given country lacks certain resources for the production of certain products, the exchange of these scarce products enhances unity and contributes in unifying different cultures by helping the different countries increase production without relying on local resources. Ecological Influence Ecology, in conjunction of health matters contribute to global culture formation. To start with, china’s role in producing coke for the greater Eastern community has contributed in the destruction of ecological zones and thereby affecting Asia and Australia. Through smoke emissions from these industries, there exists massive environmental degradation which results into a change in the expected weather conditions. Changes in the weather conditions causes uniformity in different ecological zones and this changes completely the ways of living of the communities surrounding these industries, an aspect that can cultivate a new culture altogether unified by these changes. Some cooking processes require firewood and it’s for this reason that large forests are getting cleared around Europe. This felling process results into a change in the occupational and ecological events undertaken by the people in these affected parts. The resultant unified goal of reviving the environment causes a different, environmental-conscious culture to be cultivated that spreads across the globe. The junky foods being produced by the McDonalds as well as the soft drinks being produced by the Coke industry contributes into some health complications like obesity and other respiratory complications. This issue of junk food consumption is in it self becoming a global problem that is shaping up a certain culture (Bessant and Watts 311). By having many young persons consuming the foods from these companies, there results into an emergence of similar health complications as well as similar feeding habits. This similarity of feeding can be termed as a global culture that has evolved from the expansion of industries around the world. The rush to China by young people in such of employment in the manufacturing and processing industries is greatly influencing the cultures of the vast majority. This is due to the change of language by the job seekers to get recognition by potential employers. Adopting these major players’ cultures through consumption of their foods and use of their products in industries has a great influence in the cultures of these people (Cody 1). Media influence Though not directly involved with calling for a global culture, the media’s contribution with be based on convincing other nations, Australia included on the perfectness of these Companies products. Media influences the people’s perception of the different brands produced by these food giants. By continuously placing in the limelight these products, people are compelled to try out these products and what results is a unified consumption of products from the same company and its affiliates (Perry 38). The media does all the advertising and its influence on the right products by the people irrespective of religion, race or nationality is a major contributor into a global culture. Although this global culture may not comprise of diverse cultures per se, the already developed western nations will affect majority of their practices and culture to the rest of the cultures. The greatest majority likely to fall prey to the media frenzies are the youth. From food consumption to seeking employment, the youth are prone to change through well-advertised products. From the lowest learning stage to the university, the influence to indulge in other cultures especially from the developed countries is massive. Each day there are increasing cases of obesity among the kids, a trend that was not there before. This shows how globalising trade is affecting the cultures of different communities through media coverage that depicts these cultures as the best for all (Pierterse 51). The media also contributes to unify the masses by portraying the different cultural richness from the many quarters that these companies overreach. For example, through using a unique cultural characteristic from one place as the advertising slogan for the company, this character is fast absorbed across all nations through which these companies enjoy market holdings. It is through such continuous and different cultural displays that results into shared and harmonised culture, otherwise referred to as global culture. Media is thus a major influence through international trade of global culture (Perry 38). Like technology and other influences, this factor surpasses the influence of military colonisation by the fact that media has freedom of expression and any content dispatched counts as true other that information distributed under military control. Culture popularity By establishing these America’s giant companies in Russia and China, the American culture is being spread across the globe with many people adapting to these new trends introduced through the sale, and production of American products in other countries. The popularity has an immense influence on some other cultures, for example in Australia which posses various different cultures, there are chances of confusion towards a stable defining Australian culture and hence a need to be associated with a more popular culture from America, which has comfortably settled through trade in each country an example being with the McDonalds in Russia and Coke in China. In Mexico for example, there has been comprehensive influence of American culture due to the introduction of the Coca Cola Company in the country (Pierterse 51). This lack of definite culture is a contribution towards acquiring a global culture by nations having common trade and economic integration. America has popularised its culture across many nations through establishing some of their giant companies whose growth and influence overshadows all the other local companies. This popularizing strategy is creating a new American culture across many nations with examples being in Russia, where people are increasingly consuming McDonald’s products as their own while the company originates from America. The same case is true with China, which is increasingly using the Coca Cola products at the expense of their own soft drinks. This change of culture has been contributed by America’s efforts to control the market and trade of products by establishing their companies in nearly all nations. Conclusion Trade and globalisation are the major contributors to culture cohesion. Through international trade, there is the exchange of different cultures and practices with the major contributors being the popular and well-established economies. Through a common market, languages harmonise for easier communication, technology is harmonised for easy flow of trade as well as the unanimous address of environmental concerns by the concerned groups. By having affiliate companies in countries like Russia and China, America is establishing its own culture in these countries and many more through trade. Introduction of a fast food company in Russia is in itself an influence to the Russians and other countries connected in trade to change their feeding habits and instead adapt to this new culture. Works Cited Bessant, Judith and Rob Watts. Sociology Australia. Allen & Unwin, 2007. Cody, Sacha. Finding a Job in China. 2004. 13 Aug 2010 Featherstone, Mike. Global culture: nationalism, globalization, and modernity: a Theory, culture & society special issue. London: SAGE, 1990. Morales-Gomez, Daniel. A. and International Development Research Centre (Canada). Transnational social policies: the new development challenges of globalization. Canada: IDRC, 1999. Nanda, Serena., and Warms, Richard. L. Cultural anthropology. Massachusetts: West/Wadsworth Pub, 1998. Perry, Nick. Hyperreality and global culture. London: Routledge, 1998. Pieterse, Jan. Nederveen. Globalization and culture: global mẻlange. Maryland: Rowan & Littlefield, 2009 Zajda, Joseph. International handbook on globalisation, education and policy research. Global pedagogies and policies. Dordrecht: Springer, 2005. Read More