The impact of American culture in the world

Résumé du document

For a very long time, the American way of life was the dream of many citizens around the world as everyone imagined that they would be able to enjoy a far better life in the New World. The descriptions of the country made by those who had crossed the Oceans appealed to people everywhere. The legendary success stories of self-made men who had become rich "overnight" further enhanced that dream. Rockefeller (1839-1937), a manufacturer and financier created Standard Oil that became Esso. The profits of the company were used for a philanthropic end. Morgan (1837-1913), a banker, created several big trusts and bequeathed a part of his works of art to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Carnegie (1835-1919), a Scottish manufacturer created the trust of steel and bequeathed his fortune to charitable organizations (hospitals, libraries, schools, churches etc).

Extraits

[...] Teenagers started wearing them in the 1950s as a form of non- conformity! They quickly became a world-wide form of casual dress. Outside the US, blue jeans symbolized American culture. Known in China as “cowboy pants”. The food industry bears witness to (=être le témoin de) the expans° of American culture in the world - KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken): founded in 1952, has spread to 80 countries around the world with over 4,000 outlets (=magasin), it is one of the favourite fast-food places of the Chinese. [...]

[...] It has become global foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 restaurants serving nearly 50 million people in more than 120 countries each day. Its smiling clown is known to children around the world. Since 1986, The Economist has used the price of a Big Mac to compare prices in the countries where McDonald's exists. The Big Mac index is based on the theory of purchasing power parity the fact that a dollar should buy the same amount in all countries. [...]

[...] Institutions have also been influenced by American-born structures: - The Securities and Exchange Commission: its counterpart is the Autorité des Marchés Financiers Language reflects the impact of the USA on our cultural life: more and more “Americanisms” such as cheeseburger, pop-corn, milkshake, walkman, airbag are now used. No law will be powerful enough to fight this trend as English is now the dominant language in the world. Because American culture infiltrates lives at every level, many consider it as a cultural threat. But does globalization necessarily imply homogenizing and Americanizing the cultures of the world? [...]

[...] - General Motors 2004, turnover = $193 billion = the Gross Domestic Product of Greece! It remained the largest firm in the world for years, but since 2001 it has been overtaken by Wal-Mart. - Wal-Mart: the world's largest retailer million customers per week. - Nike, Reebok: supply their equipment to numerous international athletes, boosting their worldwide sales. - The Visa Card, pioneered in 1958 by Bank of America, is now the most sophisticated system of its kind in the world, handling 100 million operations in a single day. [...]

[...] The Economist launched “lattenomics” creating the “Starbucks tall latte index”. Unfortunately, fast-food restaurants did not bring only food and indexes; they appear to have significantly contributed to the worldwide health- crisis of obesity. - WeightWatchers Company: international company that offers various dieting products and services to assist weight loss and maintenance. It now operates in about 30 countries around the world American culture is widely brought to the world by the media and the film industry: for example, the American written press is easily available in countries where there is freedom of press. [...]