Sociology Ch. 2 Culture Technology in the Global Village The New Technology The gestures, language, values, folkways, and mores that we have discussed-

SociologyCh. 2 CultureTechnology in the Global Village

The New TechnologyThe gestures, language, values, folkways, and

mores that we have discussed- all are part of symbolic or nonmaterial culture. Culture, as you recall, also has a material aspect: a group’s things, from its houses to its toys. Central to a group’s material culture is its technology.


Technology:Def.- in it’s narrow sense, tools; it’s broader

sense includes the skills or procedures necessary to make and use those tools.

New Technology:Def.- the emerging technologies of an era that

have a significant impact on social life.


For people 500 years ago, the new technology was the printing press. For us, the new technology consists of computers, satellites, and the electronic media.

An example- gender relations:Cultural custom: men domineering women.-1995 Beijing United Nations Conference on Women's

Issues- grievances were shared and instantaneously communicated around the world. The customs have to change.


Cultural Lag & Cultural ChangeSociologists William Ogburn (1922/1938):Cultural Lag:Def.- Ogburn’s term for human behavior lagging

behind technological innovations.


Ogburn pointed out that a group’s material culture usually changes first, with the nonmaterial culture lagging behind- playing a game of catch up.

As example- the 9 month school year:Late 1800’s: corresponded to the technology of the

day- farming-Children needed to plant and harvest the crops.

Changes in farming practices (machinery) eased up the work load.


Technology & Cultural LevelingFor most of human history, communication was limited andtravel slow. Consequently, in their relative isolation,human groups developed highly distinctive ways of life as they responded to the particular situations they faced.Example: Tasmanians-334 islands off the main island of Tasmania-some had no contact with other cultures-they did not know how to make fire -had their own dialect


Except in such rare instances, humans always had some contact with other groups.

During these contacts, people learned from one another, adopting some part of the other’s way of life.

In this process, called cultural diffusion:Cultural Diffusion:Def.- the spread of cultural characteristics from one

group to another.


1. Open to changes in their technology or material culture.

2. Usually eager to adopt superior tools or weapons.


Historical Examples:Civil War VS. The Iraq War

Consider how the public was informed.-Monthly newspapers compared to live feed news


Travel and communication unite us to such an extent that there is almost no “other side of the world” anymore.

Cultural Leveling:Def.- the process by which cultures become

similar to one another; especially refers to the process by which US culture is being exported and diffused into other nations.

Foreign Companies in the United StatesForeign companies may touch a nerve in Americansociety and may still be an object of fear anddistrust among many, who view foreign investment as a threat to the American worker and way of life.But foreign investment isn’t simply about helpingworkers earn a weekly paycheck. Foreigncompanies that invest in the United States arehaving a significant — and largely positive —impact on not only the lives of workers, but alsothe health of the American economy and societyas a whole.

Foreign Companies in the United States

When foreign companies open a factory or buy abusiness in a region they also stimulate localcommerce and create a demand for more homes,shops, schools and restaurants. They contributemoney to schools, parks and towns, and lureconsultants and technicians who then providemore jobs. This ripple effect explains whygovernors, mayors and economic developmentofficials are so eager for foreign investors.

Foreign Companies in the United StatesThe following foreign companies have market cap of over

$100BOn the stock exchange:1. PetroChina Company Limited (PTR)2. China Mobile Ltd. (CHL)3. BHP Billiton Limited (BHP)4. HSBC Holdings plc (HBC)5. Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS.A)6. Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PBR)7. BHP Billiton plc (BBL)8. Vale (VALE)9. China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (LFC)10. Toyota Motor Corporation (TM)


Cars.com has calculated the most Americanvehicles, based on the percentage of parts madedomestically, and where they are assembled. Inthis calculation, models rated most American canbe from foreign brands. Toyota and Honda, which have had U.S. factoriesfor more than 25 years, have five of the top 10 onthis list.


• When the U.S. Air Force chose Airbus, a French company, to build $40 billion worth of jet refuelers, Congress fired back that thousands of valuable jobs would be lost to the French.

• That must be news to the hundreds of Airbus employees in the U.S. and to the employees of Northrop Grumman and General Electric, which are also part of the winning consortium.

Unilever is currently the world's largest ice cream and tea—and one of the largest home and personal care—companies, with a portfolio of brands including Lux, Dove, Pond's, Calvin Klein, Lipton, Hellmann's, and Ben & Jerry's.

US Companies in the rest of the World

China:The Chinese operations of many Americancompanies are still dwarfed by their massivedomestic operations. Wal-Mart opened it’s first store in 1996. Today it has 370 storeswith 103, 287 “Associates.”


China:General Motors In April, GM sold 173,007 vehicles in the U.S., down 34 percent from April 2008. The same month, GM's China sales jumped 25 percent to a record 151,084.


China:YUM Brands, the parent of Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell

and Long John Silver's. Last year, YUM's restaurant count in the U.S. was basically unchanged. But its China unit, which comprises mainland China.

Thailand and KFC Taiwan, opened 500 new restaurants and tallied operating profits of $469 million. With 2,980 restaurants and a new outlet opening almost every day, Yum Brands says KFC is the "largest and fastest growing restaurant chain in mainland China today."


In the UK and Ireland, KFC sells 114 million Hotwings every year. That equals 3.6 every second or 300,000 a day.

In the U.S., by contrast, the number of KFC’s has fallen each of the last four years, from 5,525 in 2004 to 5,253 in 2008.


El Salvador:Personal-care product maker Avon is supportingcancer testing and treatment projects, schools,children’s hospitals and hospices. It also is demonstrating its commitment to womenthrough a program that recognizes women whosehumanitarian organizations make significantcontributions to their communities.


Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with over 17,000 stores in 49 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, nearly 1,000 in Canada and more than 800 in Japan.

Currently Starbucks is present in more than 55 countries.


Besides its namesake Coca-Cola beverage, Coca-Cola currently offers more than 400 brands in

over 200 countries or territories and serves 1.6 billion servings each day.

Also according to the 2007 Annual Report, Coca-Cola had gallon sales distributed as follows:

• 37% in the United States• 43% in Mexico,India, Brazil, Japan and the People's

Republic of China• 20% spread throughout the rest of the world


Applebee’s International, Inc. is a UnitedStates company which develops, franchises,and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grilland Bar restaurant chain. As of November 25, 2007, there were1,965 restaurants operating system-wide in49 states, 17 countries, and one U.S. territory.


Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States. Domino's currently has nearly 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 international markets and all 50 U.S. states.

Domino's Pizza was sold to Bain Capital in 1998 and went public in 2004. Domino's Pizza is located in more than 60 countries.


The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969.

The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta.

As of September 2008, Gap, Inc. has approximately 135,000 employees and operates 3,076 stores worldwide, of which 2,551 are in the United States.

Gap, Inc. remains the largest specialty apparel retailer in the U.S., though it has recently been surpassed by the Spanish-based Inditex Group as the world's largest apparel retailer.

There are 3465 Gap stores. Those in Canada, France, Ireland, Japan, UK, and US (and Puerto Rico) are company owned. Stores outside of these countries are owned and operated by franchises.


MTV is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981.

The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs.


MTV Networks has also launched numerous native-language MTVbranded music channels to dozens of countries around the world. MTVUK operates 16 channels solely in the United Kingdom. Other channelsinclude, but are not limited to, MTV Adria based in Serbia, MTBelgium, MTV Brazil, MTV Canada, MTV Turkey, MTV Netherlands,MTV Ireland, MTV Greece, MTV Hungary, MTV Russia, MTV Spain, MTV Austria, MTV France, MTV Germany, MTV Europe ,MTV Portugal, MTV Adria, MTV Denmark, MTV Finland, MTV Italy,MTV Norway, MTV Poland, MTV Czech, MTV Romania, MTVLithuania, MTV Latvia, MTV Estonia, MTV Sweden, MTV Asia, MTV Taiwan,MTV Korea, MTV Japan, MTV Thailand, MTV Indonesia,MTV India, MTV Pakistan, MTV Latin America, MTV Australia, MTV New Zealand, MTV Ukraine, and MTV Base inAfrica and MTV Arabia.


McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving more than 58 million customers daily.

The following are examples of menu items from selected countries of Asia. Although many of the standard McDonald menu items that will be found in US restaurants can also be found here, many of the other menu items reflect regional specialties or adaptations due to religious or cultural reasons.

McDonald's Singapore• Grilled chicken foldover – uses flat bread and an artificial meat patty• Rice cake burger – comes in two varieties. A crispy chicken fillet between two

mushroom flavoured rice cakes and minimal mayonnaise. The beef one uses plain white rice cakes, and strips of marinated beef. ‘Rice made fan-tastic’ is the slogan!

• McSpicy – a spicy chicken burger with real chicken• Fish McDippers – which are fish nuggets• McWings – deep fried battered chicken wings• Milo – a chocolate drink was on the

menu as a hot or iced drink

• McDonald's NetherlandsMcKroket – 100% beef ragout and potato deep-fried to form a crispy layer around it. It's topped with a fresh mustard/mayonnaise sauce.

• McDonald's AustriaFried Brie cheese

• McDonald's ItalyVegetariana Salad – with lettuce, corn, olives, carrots, cherry tomatoes and moreMarinara Salad – with shrimps and salmon in fresh lettuceMediterranea Salad – with cheese and olivesFiordiriso Salad – with rice, tuna, ham and mushrooms.Other local varieties include: mozzarella sticks crumbed and fried, cremogelati – a soft serve gelati, caprese salad (lettuce, cherry tomatoes, soft white cheese and carrot), different frappe flavours, beer is also available!

• McDonalds FranceBrunch – like the big breakfast but has a croissant and a pastry

• McDonald's EnglandMcQuorn burger – this is a vegetarian burger made artificially from a fungus

• McDonald's PortugalBica – a type of espressoPasteis de Nata – Portuguese style cakes

• McDonald's Siwitzerland Vegi Mac – vegetarian burger

• McDonald's Sweden "The world's first "McSki" opened in Sweden with Ski-Thru service. Skiers can ski up to the counter and order their favorite McDonald's sandwich without missing a beat on the slopes." On the menu you may find: Fisk, Kyckling och Vegetariskt, Dryck, Dips Esoch Dressing, Plusmeny, Presentcheckar, McFeast & Co, Stora Menyn, McFish & Co, ViktVŠktarmenyn med McChicken, ViktVŠktarmenyn med McGarden, McGarden & Co, McAroni inkl. mellanstor lŠsk.

• McDonalds Spain Chilled gazpacho – served in sealed plastic cups.

• McDonalds IsraelMcShawarma – which is essentially shawarma served in flatbread

• McDonalds Russia"Country Style Potatoes" – an imitation of "classic" Russian fried/boiled prepared potatoes

McDonald’s Global Domination

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Sociology Ch. 2 Culture Technology in the Global Village The New Technology The gestures, language, values, folkways, and mores that we have discussed-