Porter - Annotated Bib and Anecdote

Works Cited
Cross, Gary S. Encyclopedia of Recreation & Leisure in America Edition 1. (Scribner American Civilization). 2nd ed. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. History Resource Center. 13 Mar. 2009 . Globalization of the fast food industry has largely been driven by America, exporting enormous numbers of McDonald’s, Pizza Hut’s, KFC’s, and Starbucks, but an interesting trend is growing-- in the hypercompetitive fast food market, oversaturation of familiar brands has caused American corporations like McDonald’s to diversify, from adding locally oriented dishes like cold pasta in their Italian restaurants, beer in their German shops, and teriyaki burgers throughout Asia, to more interestingly, the importation of various brands, like Pret a Manger and Aroma Café. So while the continued growth of these large multinational companies continues, we as consumers are unaware that the money spent at a local Au Bon Pain is helping to fuel the continued homogenization of the food industry in all corners of the world.

Ordonez, Franco. "Mexico Now the 2nd Fattest Country, After U.S." McClatchy Newspapers 24 Mar. 2008. SIRS Researcher. SIRS Knowledge Source. 13 Mar. 2009 . More than 71 percent of Mexican women and 66 percent of men are overweight, according to recent surveys. This contrasts with a similar sampling done in 1989, in which fewer than 10 percent of Mexican citizens were overweight. This drastic change, occurring in so short a period of time is nothing short of amazing, and has brought with it sobering changes in the health and life expectancy of Mexico’s people. Trade agreements like NAFTA have had a profound effect on almost every aspect of society in Mexico, from the significant shift to textile and service industries from agriculture, to the average wages of it’s people, to the products and food that are consumed. Clearly, some of the negative effects of globalization, specifically as it relates to the fast food industry, can be seen in the faces of the obese and diabetic children that suffer from poor nutrition and inadequate education vis-á-vis healthy lifestyle choices.

Rosenthal, Elizabeth. "Fast Food Hits Mediterranean; a Diet Succumbs." New York Times 24 Sept. 2008, A1+ sec.: A1+. In Kasteli, Greece, the traditional and widely celebrated Mediterranean diet is disappearing, and with it, the good health of the people who live there. Fast food, once seen as a wholly American fascination has for the last few decades been spreading, now reaching a new and global level of ubiquity and has had unintended side effects. Dr. Stagourakis suggests that the growing popularity of fast foods (also referred to as “convenience foods”) is directly related to the rising statistics of overweight and obese children and adults in Kasteli. Dr. Stagourakis is not alone in his suppositions. Dr. Trichopolou, professor of epidemiology at the University of Athens, and statistics generated and supported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization also validate his argument. It is hard to argue against the notion that the sophisticated and heavily monied fast food corporations operating today have an excellent understanding of marketing and franchise growth and management. It is similarly difficult to ignore the fact that these extremely large corporations hold an equally large amount of power, and that the key focus of their business is not on the cultural uniqueness of the countries they operate in, but in the profit they make from their ever-expanding business interests. Our globalized economy, as it becomes increasingly interdependent and entwined, also becomes more hegemonized and reliant on the most powerful players in the world economy. And who could be more powerful than the companies that provide the food we eat, particularly if these same companies own much of the commercial land and have significant interests in the farms where we grow our crops and raise our animals? Fast food is successful because it is fast and cheap. It’s fast and cheap because there is very little variation in even the tiniest detail of how it is produced and disseminated. The extremely precise nature of its business affords a level of predictability, and thusly, stabilization and mitigation of the otherwise natural ebb-and-flow of the world market to such an extent that local competition cannot continue. This has the effect of a cultural vacuum, speeding the homogenization of culture, and, of course in the process, increasing the rate at which these companies grow. Though their expansion has happened to include token nods toward cultural inclusivity (such as chicken-oriented meals in Asia, and vegetable dishes in India), I submit that any attempt to fit in is merely superficial, and a factored-in “cost of doing business” to win as many customers as possible. It is a safe bet to assume that, although the menu may change slightly, behind the counter, it is always the same, whether in main land China or Columbus, Ohio.

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Anecdote:

I found out only recently that Boston Market was owned by the McDonald’s Corporation. It initially struck me as odd— why would a restaurant chain want to purchase a competing entity, and keep them running? I’d always assumed that the first thing McDonald’s would do with any restaurant they purchased would be to dismantle and shutter all of the locations, instead turning them into yet more McDonald’s, their yellow arches stretching out in a long and unending line from one coast of this country to the other. I imagined that if you were to look down from space at North America, it might look like the continent was excitedly saying “MMMMMMMMMMMMM!”, as if expressing delight at the thought of two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, etcetera. I suppose, though, that the more crafty side of my mind recognizes the power in a diversified brand— in this manner, should the public suddenly grow tired of Big Mac’s, and suddenly develop an extreme hunger for steam cooked rotisserie chicken, McDonald’s Corporation would be there to provide the meal, and to collect the check.

Annotated & Anecdote

ANNOTATED BIB:

"To Meat or Not to Meat. " Current Events  9 Feb. 2009: 7. Children's Module. ProQuest.  CCBC Essex, Baltimore, MD.  14 Mar. 2009 

This periodical presents the question of whether or not children should be vegans or vegetarians.  It presents both sides of the argument.  It is dangerous for children's digestive systems and calorie intake, and the flip side, that it encourages the “go green” movement and conscientious eating habits.  I like that this document leaves it up to the reader to decide if being vegan or vegetarian is good or bad, especially for children.  For the purposes of this paper, and eventually beyond, I became a vegetarian, with the exception of fish and other seafood.  I like how the article makes the differentiation between vegan and vegetarian.  Vegan is avoiding all animal products, even eggs and milk.  Vegetarian is only avoiding the meat itself.  One of the things that the article ignores is the fact that vegetarians come in different forms, like myself.  They say, “Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or poultry,” but after doing other online research in chat rooms and vegetarian informational sites I found that I can be a vegetarian while eating seafood.  I wish the article would have pointed that out.  The writer refers to reliable sources that even I have heard of, for the most part.  The American Diabetes Association is an advocate of vegetarianism because it has been shown to lower the risk of heart diseases and some cancer.  That makes me feel better about my choice.  I wanted the article to stress more the importance of finding other sources of protein.  My parents made me realize that I have to find foods to substitute in place of the meat I used to eat, which also made me research what is in foods.  The article was easy to read, but it presented very black-white, yes-no choices.  Being a vegetarian is more than that.

“Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; Doctors endorse vegan and vegetarian diets for healthy pregnancies." NewsRx Health  22 Mar. 2009: 26. Sciences Module. ProQuest.  CCBC Essex, Baltimore, MD.  14 Mar. 2009 

The NewsRx article I read is shedding light on the idea of vegetarianism and being vegan during, and even after pregnancy.  It was a really easy read, but was full of facts.  The talk of vitamin B12 was new to me.  I have heard of it, and my aunt is crazy about taking B12 all the time, but I never knew how to get it.  Apparently most breakfast cereals and soy milk have a lot of B12, which is extremely healthy, especially for pregnant women and their children.  Also, a vegetarian diet, when consumed correctly, has more fiber and antioxidants than a non-vegetarian diet.  Something I did not like about the article was all the acronyms it used.  I understand that for some people, things are easier to read when they do not have to sound out all the words, but I have trouble reading letters that do not make words.  In addition, only good things are said about being a vegetarian and pregnant simultaneously.  I have found through additional research that it can be extremely dangerous, more to the child than the mother, to be vegetarian while pregnant.  Serious birth defects can result from the slightest B12 deficiency.  It is really important for pregnant mothers who read this to take it very seriously.  Eating what she considers a balanced diet may not be enough.

Mayer, Heather. "Should You become a Vegan or a Vegetarian?" Scholastic Choices. 1 Oct. 2008: 15,T7. Children's Module. ProQuest.  CCBC Essex, Baltimore, MD. 14 Mar. 2009 

This document is to help people decide whether or not they should become vegetarian or vegan.  It is based on more than just the ethics of eating animal meat, but the ability to obtain necessary vitamins, proteins, and other nutrients.  I enjoyed the difference from this article to the other two I read.  This one has a miniature questionnaire at the end to help teens and adults decide if they should become a vegetarian.  An important aspect is the reasoning behind the decision, and that could have been expanded upon.  It was a little bit less than half of the article, but it was a short article, and could have been more.  I really like that the article explained how to get the nutrients, and also terms people may not know, like fortified.  Apparently that means the food did not originally have it, but that given company added it so to be more nutritious.  I agreed with the realistic presentation of everything in the article.  They tell what you will be missing if you choose to become vegan or vegetarian, and even why it matters.  Most people know that they need protein and B12 and other healthy sounding things, but most people also do not know why, or what the results will be if they do not eat those things.  Overall, this document was the most sensible and fair in my eyes.

ANECDOTE:

For the purposes of this paper, and because of how much I was grossed out after reading how cows are killed, I decided to experiment with becoming a vegetarian.  I'll still eat seafood, but that comes in limited supply anyway.  The fatty acids are good only about once a week.  I love chicken.  Grilled chicken, fried chicken, broiled chicken.  Chicken with salad, on salad, by the pool, as my midnight snack.  That kind of makes me sound like a freak, but I love chicken in its various forms.  But being a vegetarian is good, right?  It will make me more conscious of what I eat, right?  Well, maybe.  My brothers good friend gave up meat for an entire year.  He was fit and healthy.  After that year, though, he was fat.  No two ways about it, he gained a LOT of weight.  Crap.  When summer rolls around, and Sarah can't stand staring at the grilled chicken on fresh beds of lettuce any more, she will be a blimp.  Maybe not, right?  I have to be so careful what I eat now!  I don't get protein from meat, obviously.  I did some research.  Things like nuts and dried berries have protein, so I've been eating them.  Until I talked to my vegetarian friend, that is.  Everything besides meat with protein also has tons of calories and carbs!  I may as well eat nothing but pasta in the morning, afternoon, and night.  This is going to be harder than I thought.  I'm not living in the world where cows and chickens and pigs everywhere will be saved because I stopped eating them, but for now, I feel good about my decision.  My cheese, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches are just as good as they would be with meat... except for that whole protein problem.

Annotated Bibliography 1-3 and Personal Anecdote

Annotated Bibliography:

Matheson, Donna, and Robinson, Thomas. “Effects of Fast Food Branding on Young Children's Taste Preferences.” Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 161.8 (2007): 792-797 Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 3 March 2007. American Medical Association. 15 March 2009 .
This article presents the data collected during a study where children, aged 3 to 5, were asked to compare the taste of two identical pieces of food; the only difference between the foods was the packaging (i.e. one was packaged in McDonald's packing, one in neutral packaging).
I found this article to be informative and interesting to read. The information, while presented in an academic language, was understandable and clearly presented. Unlike the article by Powell, the organization was logical and the text was coherent. Combined with the charts and tables, the text presented a clear and comprehensive overview of the results of this study.
The only weakness of this article is that it does include a significant amount of statistical information, which may be difficult to understand for those who have not taken a basic statistics course. That being said, for those who have taken such a course, the provided statistical information greatly adds to the article.
One of the greatest strengths of this article is that it draws far-reaching conclusions from the data gathered. For example, on page 5, the authors suggest that instituting brand recognition (a child's ability to recognize and desire a familiar brand) geared towards healthy foods might be effective in reducing the number of overweight and obese children in the US.

Powell, Lisa M. “Exposure to Food Advertising on Television Among US Children.” Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 161.6 (2007): 553-560. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 14 Dec. 2006. American Medical Association. 15 March 2009 .
This article examines the amount of advertising that US children are exposed to today, as compare to children's exposure rates over the past 35 years.
While the information presented in this article was interesting, I found the presentation to be confusing, and sometimes contradictory. The graphs and tables were very helpful in understanding the data collected; however, the textual presentation of the data was poorly organized, and presented in a disjointed manner that made following the results difficult. The author's academic background shows clearly in the scientific presentation of the article; while this promotes a feeling of reliability and trustworthiness, it makes reading the article difficult for those outside the field.
One of the strengths of this article was the author's use of previous, related studies as a source of data. These studies are presented and adequately explained in Table 3 (p. 4); once again, however, the textual explanation of the studies was very confusing.
Overall, I found that the poor presentation and organization found in this article significantly detracts from the information presented. If it had been better organized, this article would have been much more useful, and enjoyable to read.

Story, Mary, and French, Simone. “Food Advertising and Marketing Directed at Children and Adolescents in the US.” International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 1.3 (2004) BioMed Central Ltd. 10 Feb. 2004. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 15 March 2009. .
This article examines the various forms of food advertising and marketing aimed at children, including television advertising, in-school marketing (both direct and indirect), product placements, kids' clubs, the Internet, toys and products with brand logos, and youth-targeted promotions.
I found this article to be very informative. The information is presented clearly and concisely, and is drawn from a number of reliable sources, such as the World Health Organization and the US General Accounting Office. It paints a comprehensive picture of the various forms of advertising, the possible effects of advertising directed at children, and recommendations to reduce said effects. The authors' use of international and local data provide a thorough coverage of the topic, and highlight many of the ineffective practices used in the US to regulate child-directed advertising.
The only weakness that I noted in this article is the placement of tables. They were often placed in such a way that they were out of context, and interrupted the flow of the article. They would have been far more effective if they had been better positioned. However, the tables included in the article did provide useful information that would otherwise have overburdened the actual text.


Personal Anecdote:


One of my first memories of fast food is from early in my childhood. My father wanted to go to Burger King that day, instead of our usual McDonald's. I made my objections known by throwing a screaming fit; after all, if it wasn't McDonald's, it couldn't be good! I can still remember how mad I was, both at the proposed change in eating venue, and at the grounding I got for my temper tantrum. My belief at this young age that McDonald's had the best food can be attributed to something called “branding.” “Branding” is discussed by Robinson and Matheson in their article “Effects of Fast Food Branding on Young Children's Taste Preferences”; they found that “By two years of age, children may have beliefs about specific brands, and 2- to 6-year-olds can recognize familiar brand names, packaging, logos, and characters and associate them with products... awareness and recognition translate into product requests, begging and nagging for specific product names and brands.” (Matheson and Robinson, p. 1). “Branding” is a powerful influence on children's food preferences.

Works Cited:
Matheson, Donna, and Robinson, Thomas. “Effects of Fast Food Branding on Young Children's Taste Preferences.” Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 161.8 (2007): 792-797 Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 3 March 2007. American Medical Association. 15 March 2009 .

Personal Anecdote

Some today choose to follow a nutrition plan rather than eat whatever their taste buds tell them to. There seems to be a trend of Americans consuming more and more unhealthy foods due only to the fact that it tastes good to them. When I found out that I would have to watch what I eat I was a little uncertain as to where to start. Americans really are not trained to look at what is in our food or determine whether or not it is healthy for us. We put things into our body everyday just because we see others doing the same or we see advertisements on television. It really concerns me that as a Nation we are ignorant in the ways of nutrition and actual “food.” Sure the food we eat today keeps us going, but it’s been genetically altered and modified to enrich our diets with “good” and “bad” ingredients. We tend to follow advice of those who conduct very specific studies instead of learn and analyze ourselves how we can best maintain our bodies through our diet. After being forced into a crash course on carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and the deceptiveness of “low-fat and “unsaturated sugars” I was able to make a more health conscious decision every time I have a meal. I feel better and have more energy ever since this step in my life and I find it odd that Americans are not taught the basics and even if they are, hardly retain the knowledge. I guess the government is even today trying to protect the interests of those who sponsor their campaigns.

Annotated Blog

FOOD FIGHT:

Brownell, Kelly D. Food Fight. McGraw-Hill: Chicago Il, 2006.

Food Fight is a very factual account of the American food crisis. Divided into three sections beginning with Biology Mismatched With The Modern World, followed by The Toxic Environment, and closing with the simply titled Changing Things, Food Fight addresses many angles of the food industry, and their effects on the global community. While it points out the industry’s shortcomings, it also discusses in-depth, possible solutions to this colossal problem. My favorite aspect of Food Fight is the highlighting of key facts. Since the book contains so much information the highlighting enhances the accessibility of the various statistics. If there is an inherent downfall within Food Fight it may be that at times the presentation seems too steeped in facts. Unlike Eric Schlosser’s approach in the culinary classic Fast Food Nation, Dr. Brownell does not blend real life examples with the numbers and hard evidence. This makes the book a very dry read, and a challenge to focus on for an extended length of time. When it’s all said and done, I think the merits of Food Fight far outweigh any deficiency. Dr. Kelly D. Brownell clearly addresses the problem, discusses its major issues inside and out, and even provides recommendations to the public and possible answers for this enormous issue.

IN DEFENSE OF FOOD:

Pollan, Michael. In Defense Of Food. Penguin Press: New York NY, 2008.

Unlike the other books I have chosen, Michael Pollan’s In Defense Of Food takes a different approach in the quest to find a way out of our modern food quandary. Where books such as Eric Scholsser’s Chew On This and Dr. Kelly Brownell’s Food Fight concentrate largely on Fast Food, Pollan moves beyond the Fast Food industry to focus on another movement that has also played a large role in today’s food crisis. Dubbed “Nutritionism” by the Australian sociologist Gyorgy Scrinis, this movement is defined as a belief that it is necessary to engage foods exclusively on their nutritional and chemical constitutes. Pollan later describes the movement’s hallmark in simpler terms stating that the nutrients found in food should be divided into groups of good and bad. Although there seems to be nothing wrong with this outlook Pollan suggests that we take another route. After covering the various problems of Neutritionism including that it is based on questionable science, he suggests a solution that is radically simple: “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants”. By carefully looking at ingredients on packages and having a basic understanding of natural ingredients, Pollan says we can eat food that is far more beneficial to us then anything created in a lab. His simple guideline is that we “shouldn’t eat anything our great grandmothers wouldn’t recognize as food”. Food Fight is a breath of fresh air. It addresses the same problems that other works cover but provides a new perspective. It challenges much of what we have been taught and because of this it added a unique element to my research.

CHEW ON THIS:

Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson. Chew On This. Houton Mifflin: Boston 2006.

Eric Schlosser once again tackles the never ending Fast Food issue. In his first work Fast Food Nation Schlosser puts a great amount of emphasis on the Fast Food Industry itself. He concentrated most of his chapters on what the business has done its employees, our natural resources, and economy. In his second round attack on Fast Food, Scholosser and partner Charles Wilson place more of their focus on the food. It tells the tale of the animals we eat, uncovers the secret ingredients used to make our favorite dishes, and talks about the industry’s founders. It reveals how a few restaurants grew to a few thousand, and how a clown named Ronald became an American icon. What makes Chew On This a good source is that much like its predecessor, the information is interwoven with the personal stories of real people. This gives the book a good mixture of statistics, hard facts, history and storytelling which makes both the reading more pleasant and the significance of the information evident to all readers. However, at times Chew On this came off as a watered down version of Schlosser’s pervious work. Some of the same information covered in Fast Food Nation was rehashed in Chew On This. Aside from a few interesting points I found Fast Food Nation to be a superior source.

PERSONAL ANECDOTE:
While serving in the military I had my first experience in the food service field. When most people think of the Coast Guard they think of it as a division of our nation’s military focused primarily on lifesaving. Rarely do people consider the operational logistics and roles each member of the service actually performs. In between launching helicopters for counterdrug operations, and doing armed searches of dhows in the Middle East, I was cooking and preparing meals on ships. It was as important to me to provide healthy meals as it was to justly enforce wartime laws in Iraqi territory. I would estimate that I spent a little more then $110,000 supplying the crewmembers of my unit with provisions during my thirteen months deployed in the Middle East. Some meals served were obviously more popular than others. Without a doubt two of the most popular dishes served were actually side dishes. I couldn’t keep enough French fries or chicken nuggets onboard our small ship. So it came as no surprise to me that a fourth of all vegetables consumed in the United States are the infamous deep fried delicacy made popular by our nation’s Fast Food chains. Also in my travels around the globe I can honestly say there are few countries that I went to that were out of the reach of our nation’s largest Fast Food conglomerates. While on one of my armed transits in the Middle East I passed the legendary McDonalds of Kuwait City that once had a line of 15,000 customers on its opening day. I couldn’t name the amount of times I walked past the plethora of Fast Food establishments while in the Kingdom Of Bahrain’s American Alley. Just down the road from Camp America and Camp Delta, where some of the most dangerous terrorists in the world are confined, our solders, sailors, airmen, and marines enjoy their favorite items off the Guantanamo Bay McDonalds’ menu in a restaurant that looks just like the one in your neighborhood. So it came as no surprise to me that the McDonalds Corporation is the largest holder of commercial real estate in the world. All this puts the providers of food in an interesting position. I was required within limited resources, to supply and prepare meals that were both nutritious and delicious. However, like the rest of America, our nation’s soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines have a taste for fast food. It is showing now more than ever. Everyday each branch of the military turns down potential recruits because of their unhealthy weight. Regularly, service members are placed on report and even discharged for not maintaining their respective weight standards. Finally, our veterans are being treated for conditions that result from the high fat diet they have become accustomed to consuming at their favorite burger joints. If the protectors of the free world are not safe from the grips of Fast Food then who is?

3/16 Annotated Part1

Elizabeth Austin. "Advertising Is Not Harmful to Children." Opposing Viewpoints: Advertising. Ed. Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Community College Of Baltimore County. 15Mar.2009http://0find.galegroup.com.library.ccbcmd.edu:80/ovrc/infomark.do?&content Set=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010388214& source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=balt47855&version=1.0.

This article does present an opposing view unlike the first source that I used. I do like how this article points out the parent’s responsibility to monitor what their children watch. I do not believe that advertising to children should be the fault of an advertising company. Parents should take an active role in monitoring and general parenting instead of actively voting for advertising bans in regard to their own children. Austin points a lot of good points to refute the statements made by Alissa Quart. Quart states that the generation of teens should be labeled “branded for life” because teens wear name brand clothing and are consumed by advertisements displaying popularity over morals. Austin refutes this statement by using the background of the popular cartoon-show “Daria.” Quart’s pessimistic views were no match for Austin because Austin easily used Quart’s very own tactics against her.


Radley Balko. "Banning Fast-Food Advertising Would Not Reduce Childhood Obesity." Current Controversies: Food. Ed. Jan Grover. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Community College Of Baltimore County.
15 Mar. 2009 &source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=balt47855&version=1.0>.

I felt that this article is relevant to the book (Fast Food Nation) because it talks about the opposing views of banning fast food. This article states that there is “no correlation between ad exposure and childhood obesity.” I agree with this statement because children learn how and what to eat based on their environment. If a child experiences a surrounding where there is nothing but unhealthy foods/habits (not necessarily fast food), most likely that child will grow-up with a higher chance of childhood obesity, than a child that grew up with healthy foods/habits. This ad talks about how children watch less TV when compared to what children watched 15 years ago because of new technologies such as a remote control and TiVo. This article argues that banning food ads targeted towards children would not solve the problem because the children that are prone to obesity are more likely to watch adult shows. This whole scenario of unsupervised children goes back to the root of parents not parenting.


Roy F. Fox. "Advertising Is Harmful to Children." Opposing Viewpoints: Advertising. Ed. Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Community College Of Baltimore County. 14 Mar. 2009http://0-find.galegroup.com.library.ccbcmd.edu:80/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet =GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010388213&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=balt47855&version=1.0.

This is a very informational source, even though I felt that it was a little biased. Roy Fox is an education professor at a university and he wrote a whole book about how harmful advertising is to children. Right from the beginning, I knew that this article would have the bulk of it’s content on refuting the ideas of advertising to children. Some of the interesting points were how the schools made deals with advertising and soda companies, with the full knowledge of it’s effects on children. One of the solutions to limiting the amount of advertising viewed by children, was to have “ad-free zones” during school hours. I also liked the analogy this article used to compare materialism to a religion. It talked about how the “Temple of a Nike ad” was the “place of worship” and how different sports’ balls would act as “halos for the corresponding sports God.”

I have experienced schools where soda and junk food were readily available to students at school. I came from an elementary school that did not allow children to drink sodas or eat junk food during the day. The rule was to eat it before or after school, but while you were in school you had to eat/drink what was on the lunch menu. Then I graduated to a middle school where you could basically do what you wanted to do. What a child ate or drank really wasn't the school's concern. My school was more focused on summer reading and test scores. I think I would've fallen into the junk food trap right along with my peers, nut they had one thing that I did not have, money. I am aware of schools making deals with a Coca Cola company to recieve some funding for school programs, books, supplies, etc. I don't really agree with the one source that I have because it talks about how it's not ethical for a school to allow an advertising agency to control/manipulate the minds of children. For a prinicpal of a school, it quickly boils down to dollars and cents when trying to generate funding for the school. Although it may not seem like a very wise option to constantly advertise to children, I am pretty confident in saying that children aren't as convincing as they may seem. Another thing is that it is not the schools or advertising companys' that are responsible for what a child consumes. Where the schools end in responsibility is where the parents are suppose to pick up. Instead of rearing in those morals and values, they would rather blame it on a scapegoat so that they won't have to take responsibility.

part 1..bibliography.

DeBolt, Don. “Layoffs, slower economy focus attention on franchised businesses as career alternative.” Nation’s Restaurant News. January 14, 2002: 23+

Since the beginning of the 21st century, according to DeBolt, Americans believe that the US economy is in recession and that the number of unemployed continues to increase. He thinks that given this situation, resorting to running a franchised business is a very sensible. The first reason he gave is that franchises allow individuals to take charge of their careers, their financial destinies, and their lives. The second is that consumers are very careful about spending their money so they’d rather buy from well-known, value-consistent brands – the franchised businesses. On the year the article was written, he says that about $1 trillion will be spent by consumers on franchised businesses; a good news for franchisees. Most jobs people who get lay-off are from the management and sales marketing positions. Franchised businesses could most definitely use these unemployed people with a background in management and such. So basically, they all work hand-in-hand. Throughout the article, DeBolt points out that there is still one practical way that Americans can survive the economic crisis: franchising businesses. He probably was successful in showing how one can make money out of franchising but he did not look at the other side of the issue. At a snap of a finger, one’s life savings invested in a franchised business which turns out to be unproductive will be gone. But then again, it is not the only solution and on the title he mentioned that franchised businesses act as a career alternative.



Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. NY: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.

Eric Schlosser mentioned in the Introduction of his book how the success of the fast food industry inspired other businesses to apply the same principle the said industry abides with which is uniformity. Not long after, franchised businesses started popping up in different areas of the country. Almost the same stores in one state could be found in the other states. The same products are being sold.
How has uniformity aided in the success of these businesses? According to Schlosser, customers are drawn to familiar brands by an instinct to avoid the unknown. Consumers basically feel that the brand they know of have been proven and tested in terms of quality. Moving to a different place, a person would seek first familiar things. Psychologically speaking, this is the Proximity or Closeness Effect wherein individuals develop preferences to those familiar to them.
Schlosser made good points and not only that; he gave concrete examples of the franchised businesses swarming the country. Upon reading the brands, I was still fascinated how these have reached the other side of the globe. The same brands play a big role in the economy of the country where I came from which is in the Far East. I think that homogenization and franchising affects the American way of life by not being very open to innovative and creative ideas because franchised businesses are controlled; by making Americans believe that all franchised businesses’ products are of good quality because they have already made a name for themselves; and by gradually stepping over independent businesses.


Millett, Frederick. “Americanization.” Fred’s College Years. 2000. 12 March 2009

Years ago, countries from all over the world look up to America. They saw America as a great model of democracy. This resulted to embracing America. American trends were followed, American products were preferred, and American businesses were equated to success and fortune. Thus Americanization was given much attention.
Frederick Millett wrote that Americanization not only changes the world, but it also causes misconceptions about Americans and their way of life. Many people now see Americans as shallow, spoiled, and shortsighted. Also, governments of some countries now see America as a threat by overturning cultures and traditions wherever Americans go.
At some point, Millett could have been right in such a way that some countries try to minimize the influence of America: the Israeli government now requires their radio stations to devote half their airtime to Hebrew songs, and France and Germany raised taxes and tariffs on foreign companies and investors. I don’t think this is the case though with all countries. In every corner of the world, McDonald’s and Coca-cola are sold. American products are still preferred over local products due to their affordability – mass production makes this possible. All other local businesses trying to compete with the American businesses followed the “uniformity” principle. These local businesses are also franchised and they sell the same products the American franchised businesses sell because for them, it is more or less a guarantee of success. People still are hopeful and are believers of The American Dream.
In the end, there is not only one answer as to what homogenization and franchising may mean to countries around the world.