Sociology Discussion

Discussion #8: McDonald’s in Hong Kong

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For this discussion complete the following tasks on the “McDonald’s in Hong Kong”.

• Pick a stance on the question that frames Watson’s article: Are fast food chains helping to create a homogenous “global” culture better suited to the demands of a capitalist world order? Are we Americanizing other countries by exporting cultural products such as McDonald’s?  Would such cultural leveling be a good or a bad thing?  Use specific information/examples from the article to support your stance; you can supplement this with observations from your own life if you’d like.  Post your own stance on these issues of cultural diffusion, leveling, and imperialism by Saturday.
• After you've posted your argument, read the responses of your classmates and find someone who wrote a stance that differs from yours. Respond to their post and explain why they make a good argument by Sunday. You'll have to use your sociological imagination to step back and see someone else's perspective. This doesn’t mean that you have to agree with the argument; you can still point out things you think your classmate should consider.  But you should point out strong aspects of the argument.

Always keep in mind that the best posts/responses directly incorporate specific references to course material (with citations) and specific sociological terminology.