Golden Arches East: McDonald's in East Asia, Second Edition - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0804749884 ISBN 13: 9780804749886

Publisher: Stanford University Press, 2006

Synopsis

Golden Arches East For the second edition of this widely read--and widely acclaimed--book, James L. Watson has added a new chapter entitled "Update: McDonald's as a Political Target." He covers recent attacks on the Golden Arches as a symbol of American imperialism, and the obesity controversy currently raging in the U.S. food industry. The new chapter also brings the story of East Asian franchise into the twenty-fi Full description

About this title

Review:

"McDonald's Restaurants are to be found world-wide and books have been written on their business success and approach but GOLDEN ARCHES EAST: MCDONALD'S IN EAST ASIA is something different, providing college-level readers with a blend of cultural insights and business savvy as it traces McDonald's role in five Asian countries. Chapters provide the author's first-person insights as he journeys to five Asian countries and asks questions on McDonald's management, promotion strategies, and impact on local culture. Also included are reflections on food and marketing within these nations, making GOLDEN ARCHES EAST essential for any overseas business or Asian holding. --BOOKWATCH

From the Author:

Editor's summary of contents.
McDonald's restaurants are found in over 100 countries, serving millions of people every day. What are the cultural implications of this phenomenon? Does the introduction of American-style fast food undermine local cuisines? Does it, as some critics argue, presage a homogenous, global culture? This book examines these and other questions, demonstrating that the methods of anthropology need not be restricted to the study of obscure and exotic customs. This book takes a fresh approach to the fast food industry by concentrating on the perspectives of consumers in five East Asian cities: Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Tokyo. What do local people have to say about McDonald's? How do consumers' preferences and cultural biases affect the system of production? This book argues that McDonald's has largely become divorced from its American roots and become a "local" institution for affluent consumers in Hong Kong, Taipei, and Tokyo. In Beijing, the localization process is just beginning, with consumers more interested in the experience of eating rather than the food itself. In Seoul, McDonald's features in debates regarding national identity. The five anthropologists who contribute to this book argue that localization is not a one-way process; the corporation has had to adapt in order to flourish in new settings. The chapters demonstrate how consumers have transformed their neighborhood restaurants into leisure centers, after-school clubs, and meeting halls. The book also pays close attention to the effects of these activities on family organization, education, and child socialization. The authors conclude that it is no accident that the fast food boom corresponds to the rise of a child-centered consumer culture in East Asia.

About this edition

• Publisher: Stanford University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0804749884
• ISBN 13: 9780804749886
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 280
• Editor: Watson James L.