Globalization and McDonaldization Does it all Amount to Nothing?

Globalization and McDonaldization

Does it all Amount to Nothing?

Globalization & McDonaldization

• McDonaldization is more than a phenomenon

• A particular type of social change• Relates to the idea of globalization

– A leading form of globalization in terms of its global impact


• Globalization is the worldwide diffusion of practices, expansion of relations across continents, organization of social life on a global scale, and growth of a shared global consciousness.


Keys to the definition of Globalization• Practices

– Education, Law Enforcement, Fast Food

• Relationships– International relationships fostered by multi-

national corporations– Relationships among foreign governments,

police agencies, and science institutions

• Organizing Social Life– Eating out and on the run– Changing the nature of education– “McDonaldized” systems


Keys to the definition of Globalization• Global Consciousness

– Aware of the growing tide of change and local culture

– Cannot escape aggressive marketers that people can hardly avoid being conscious of the changes


Globalization: Glocalization and Grobalization

• Two Main Questions:– Does Global Change Involve Increasing

Homogeneity or Increasing Heterogeneity or a mixture of both?

– What is the relationship between the local and global?



• What Drives the globalization process? What is its motor force?– Capitalism and the need to expand

markets– Americanization and the spread of

American Culture– McDonaldization and the spread of

hyper-rationality



• Glocalization is the interpenetration of global and the local resulting in unique outcomes in different geographic areas– Such a view leads to the downplay the

fear of increasing homogeneity and the loss of local culture

– Individuals and groups are powerful in modifying the globalizing forces



• Grobalization focuses on the imperialistic ambitions of nations, corporations, organizations, and the like and their desire, indeed need, to impose themselves on various geographic areas.



• Grobalization – In complete contrast of Glocalization– Leads to the conclusion that the world is

growing increasingly similar– Scares those concerned with increasing

homogeneity• Global forces are seen as largely

determining what individuals and groups think and do throughout the world


Nothing-Something & McDonaldization• Nothing is defined as a social form

that is generally centrally conceived, controlled, and comparatively devoid of distinctive substantive content.– Defined essentially by fast food

• Centrally conceived• Controlled• Lacking distinctive content


Nothing-Something & McDonaldization• Something is defined as a social form

that is generally indigenously conceived, controlled, and comparatively rich in distinctive substantive content– Local– Controlled locally– distinctive


Nothing-Something & McDonaldization• The Nothing–Something Continuum• The Nothing-Something and Glocal-

Grobal relationship– Heuristic device– Ideal type– Typological Approach and Sorting

Globalization & McDonaldizationGlocal

Grobal

Something Nothing

Craft Barn

Local Crafts

Craftsperson

Touring Art Exhibit

Guided Tour of Collection

Knowledgeable guide

Souvenir Shop

Tourist Trinkets

McDonald’s

Big Mac

Food Service

Grobalization of Something

• Low demand for something• Complexity of something makes it

expensive• High prices and low demand means

little money for marketing• Can’t be mass-marketed• Consumers are generally willing to

pay anything• Scarcity indicates value

Glocalization of Nothing

• Tourism stimulates the interest in local products

• More tourists come• Low price souvenirs made elsewhere

and shipped back (Eiffel Tower paperweight made in China

• Native Show– Feasts– Dances– Displays

Glocalization of Something

• Expensive• Distinctive content makes it unlikely

it will be widely disseminated• Don’t worry about expanding

markets– Artisans– Well paid but cannot effectively mass

market

Glocalization of Something

The Case for McDonaldization as an example of the Glocalization of Something

• Norway: McLaks--grilled salmon sandwich• Netherlands: Groenteburger—veggie burger• Uruguay: McHuevos and McQuesos• Japan Chicken Tatsuta Sandwich• Phillipines: McSpaghetti• Russia: Pirozhok—potato, mushroom, and

cheese pie• UK: Lamb McSpicy and McChicken Korma

Naan

Grobalization of Nothing

• The processes seen in McDonaldization make glocal something into grobal nothing

• Grobalization of nothing wrecks local norms and values

• Jihad Vs. McWorld– Grobalization of nothing spawns local

fundamentalist resistance movements

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Globalization and McDonaldization Does it all Amount to Nothing?