ANT 101: Introduction to Sociocultural Anthropology
Spring 2009, M,W,F 10:30 — 11:20, Chambers 1027
Prof. Eriberto P. Lozada Jr. Office Hours: M, W 9:30– 10:30 am
Office: Chambers B12 T, Th 9:00– 10:00 am or by appointment
Telephone: 704-894-2035 Email: erlozada@davidson.edu
Web: http://www.davidson.edu/personal/erlozada
Lecture Notes, 15 April 2009
Globalization
what we will be trying to figure out about globalization:
1. is there a single global culture or many varieties of global culture?
2. how does localization take place?
3. what is the impact to local communities of globalization?
What does globalization look like? McDonald’s?
• Global village idea, from modernization theory (Coca-Cola’s early understanding of
globalization); this is “globalism” (international, between nations; transnational means
crossing national boundaries, multinational means located in more than one nation,
globalization emphasizes the interconnectedness of local societies throughout the world;)
• Is there one homogenous global culture? Or are there increasingly heterogenous local
cultures? Increasing interconnectedness of local cultures through transnational flows of
media, people, commodities, and practices is causing social shifts and cultural dislocation
(First McDonald’s opened in 1940 by Dick and Mac McDonald)
McDonald’s as the symbol of globalization
• 1955; Ray Kroc opened first restaurant in Des Plaines,
Illinois, and created the
McDonald’s Corporation;
buys all rights to McD’s
concept from the McDonald’s for US$ 2.7 million
• In 1990, there were 11,803 restaurants worldwide; by
2007, there were 31,377 restaurants worldwide (from
Watson article and 2007 McD’s annual report)
• Critique of McDonalds (and there are many): cultural
imperialism (form of exploitation from the export of US,
European, and Japanese culture to other parts of the
world, Watson 1997:5)
• Jose Bove’s 1999 bulldozing of a McDonalds in Millau,
France made him a central figure in the anti-globalization
movement
