Chinese Journal of Sociology ›› 2013, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (3): 184-203.

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Globalization and Field Spirit: McDonald’s Action Logics in the Urban Cultural Designs in East Asia

SHAO Yingping   

  1. School of Social and Behavioral Science,Nanjing University
  • Online:2013-05-20 Published:2013-05-20
  • Contact: SHAO Yingping,School of Social and Behavioral Science,Nanjing University E-mail:april051204@yahoo.com.cn
  • About author:SHAO Yingping,School of Social and Behavioral Science,Nanjing University
  • Supported by:

    This is one of the phased results of “Research on Characteristic Cultural Cities” (12&ZD029),which was supported by the Major Program of the National Social Science Foundation of China.

Abstract: Globalization does not necessarily lead to cultural homogenization. In the McDonaldization across the cities in East Asia, what has been spread globally is not complete homogenization of the American culture but its special localization experience resulting from the collision of the core of the American culture and the local cultural environments. McDonald’s follows a set of action logics in this particular East Asian cultural field. Its action procedure has led to consumers’ value recognition by fragmentized cultural infiltration strategies via regulations such as diet, consumption, fashion, and public service. Its substantial actions have brought in profound profit increases through superficial cultural designs that transfer not only marginal values but also marginal profits. McDonald’s takes the overall globalization as its action opportunity to swiftly quicken its McDonadization, not only in the sense of global consumption but also global production. In the overall process, the local culture, despite of its own growth, is in general being enveloped and assimilated by the global culture. The main thing we really need to focus on is McDonald’s skillful way of inviting the local society to be part of its superficial cultural designing rather than suppressing the local cultural consciousness and thus, the local cultural consciousness is gradually becoming cultural unconsciousness during such process. In order to inspire the local society to retrieve its cultural consciousness, the type of cultural consciousness based on the rural society should be questioned for its effectiveness and representativeness against the background of global urbanization. The urban cultural consciousness and city people should be paid more attention.