McDonalds As A One Of Representators On The USA
McDonalds Characterizing American Culture
McDonalds has now become one of the first things you think of when you hear the word America. Why is that? There are a multitude of reasons, a few being the fact that Americans like things fast and McDonalds can deliver semi-quality food at a fast and cheap pace and that it avaliable to everyone regardless of age, race, or economic standing. Since Americans value both traits in a restaurant, McDonalds has become synonymous with american culture, as it has the ability to show what our society values. McDonalds has also become a very global corporation because they started out in the United States and now have branched out to over 100 countries. Since branching out, the McDonalds menu is altered from place to place, depending on the local cuisine.
One of the main reasons as to why McDonalds characterizes American culture is because Americans value time and efficiency. We asked the manager at two different McDonalds locations what their busiest time of day was and whether it was from people actually coming inside the restaurant or people using the drive through. Both locations said that the busiest times of day were in the morning from 8am to 9am and from 12pm to 1pm ,and both of these were through the drive through. Based on this information, it shows that the McDonalds gets most of their profit from people before work, most likely driving to work and grabbing a quick breakfast; and people who have a short lunch break and want something quick and cheap. It also shows our need for immediate gratification from ordering something and within minutes being able to enjoy it. This characterizes America because it show that we value time and our ability to get instant gratification when it comes to our everyday lives.
McDonalds offers a wide variety of food at very low and affordable prices. Most americans, depending on where they are from have different economic statuses. Even though people come from different economic backgrounds, they all still manage to consume McDonalds food. McDonalds also caters to all age groups from children, to teens and young adults, to adults, and even the elderly. For children, McDonalds offers toys and jungle gyms to play around in, for teens and young adults, the food is cheap and accessible, as an adult, the food replaces having to cook and makes life easier, and as an elderly, it makes an uncomplicated snack for a lunch break or to pick up and feed to grandchildren. This all proves that McDonalds is a convenient place to eat for all age groups and economic standings. This characterizes american culture because it shows that the culture is diverse and that americans value equality for everyone, regardless of money intake or age.
McDonalds is a great example of a company who grew through globalization. The first McDonalds was located in Illinois, as time went on, the restaurant chain started to spread across the United States and eventually on a worldwide scale. As these restaurants around the world spread, the majority of them adopted the culture from the surrounding area. McDonalds also shares some American culture with the food that it makes and sells around the world and with infusing our culture and food into different parts of the world. Essentially, McDonalds connects to globalization because the restaurant chain keeps growing, and if it continues to grow then there will be more cultural infusion into the classic McDonalds, and more cultural diffusion from the United States into other countries.
By looking at the McDonalds restaurant food chain, it is easy to pinpoint some elements of American culture such as the value of time, and the value of equality, McDonalds showcases this perfectly because it provides both a reliable use of time and cheap, quality food for a low price that is available to everyone. The McDonalds around the world both give and receive important cultural information about both countries. McDonalds is a new standard of American culture and is something people will automatically think of when they hear the word "America"
