As a person who has experienced both your own and American culture - Essay Example

On the other hand, other scholars disagree that American fast food brands are that good for China if they increase health problems and promote conformist and materialistic values (O’Connor 162; Zhang, der Lans, and Dagevos 88). The positive effects of the American fast food industry on Chinese society are the promotion of aspirations for success, freedom, equality, and humanity in general and a successful global business model for Chinese businesses in specific, although the American fast food industry also poses the negative effects of poor health and the spreading potentially harmful cultural practices of conformity and superficiality.

One of the positive effects of American fast food brands on Chinese culture is the promotion of positive ideals of success. Many Chinese go to Western fast food outlets to experience the American lifestyle, which is largely connected to material success. Chinese consumers want the “slice of America” that Dan Roberts writes about (168). Lynn Guenette agrees with Roberts because of examples of Chinese consumers do not want to eat rice and congee in McDonald’s because they want to taste American brands and feel emotionally connected to the success of these brands (8).

She cites China Daily, where Jeffrey Schwartz, McDonald’s China CEO explains that, in their focus group studies of Chinese consumers, many of them say that they come to McDonald’s “because [it is] a Western brand, if [they] want to eat rice or congee [they] can eat it at home…[they] want to sample the Western brand” (Guenette 8). Guenette says that the Chinese see American brands and American success as one: “Being ‘western’ is a prerequisite for success” (4).  The Chinese want American brands because America stands for success and those who consume its brands access status symbols of success.

Roberts notes that, though some groups are falling out of love of American brands because of U.S. foreign