McDonald’s: An Iconic Chinese Restaurant

McDonald’s is an iconic figure in America, almost every household has eaten there at least once, but what about other countries around the world? In Golden Arches East: McDonald's in East Asia, James Watson uses the logos rhetorical appeal to make his points about the iconic McDonald’s status in China throughout McDonald’s in Hong Kong. He does this most effectively via his many uses of evidence he gathered from talking to the Chinese people in Hong Kong that patronize the restaurant, evidence gathered from speaking with the management of the McDonald’s in Hong Kong and his own observations. James Watson’s McDonald’s in Hong Kong begins by showing the reader the importance of food to the Cantonese customer. Cantonese people are proud of their food and most of the older generations are able to describe a single meal in detail many years after eating it. The author goes on to describe how McDonald’s has incorporated themselves into the local culture by accepting and embracing local beliefs instead of trying to change them and by being adaptable in the running of the business. Watson also describes the emergence of a new culture springing out of the American based business by bringing former non-practices like celebrating birthdays into practice and providing areas safe for younger generations to form their own identities through group activities. Food is an integral part of human life all over the world, but in China food is also an integral part of human society. Older generations of Chinese people are frequently able to describe in exact detail a single meal from start to finish including where the food came from and what dishes were used in the serving of the meal. As evidenced within the text Mr. Man â€Å"recounted–in exacting detail–the flavor and texture of each dish, the sequence of spices, and the order of presentation† (77). This is worthy to note only because the meal, according to the author, took place fifty years prior (78). Clearly, Mr. Man is an older gentleman at the time this interview takes place, but other generations of Chinese people also place importance on food. Children did not celebrate birthdays in China until recently and the parties that are held are ranked by the type of fruit on the cake. Watson states, â€Å"the birthday cake is an infallible status marker among younger consumers; specifically, the type and quality of fruit used to decorate the cake is what matters most† (104). This is used as evidence to back up the previous statement that â€Å"Around the age of four, Hong Kong children begin to develop a fine-tuned sense of social distinction that is reflected in consumption patterns† (104). These observations and interviews clearly show the evidence to back up the claims and arguments made by the author. McDonald’s restaurants are not the first fast food restaurants to be introduced to Hong Kong although the franchise entered the country in 1975. â€Å"By the time McDonald's opened its first Hong Kong restaurant in 1975, the idea of fast food was already well established among local consumers† (80). There were fast-food places, operating since the 1950’s, that sold quick Chinese delicacies for the lunch crowds already in place and accepted by the culture. The author uses this information to begin effectively establishing how well McDonald’s restaurants are faring in Hong Kong. The reason for the success of the integration and subsequent popularity, according to the author, comes from many different areas. The manager took deliberate steps to make sure that the people knew that the restaurant was foreign, going so far as to keep the name of the restaurant in English for the first few years (82-83). Afterwards, when the manager had decided it was time, he decided to translate the name phonetically instead of literally. â€Å"Mr. Ng decided to capture the sound of â€Å"McDonald's,† in three homophonic characters, rather than create a name that would convey meaning–thus making the company appear to be a Chinese enterprise† (83). McDonald’s is not seen as a foreign institution, but is an accepted Chinese restaurant (107). The McDonald’s chain has succeeded in becoming an icon in China’s new popular culture (86). Children often are seen entering these restaurants after school to study or get together with their friends. They have birthday parties as young children and, according to the author, it is â€Å"the students, with their book bags and computers, who have claimed McDonald's as their own† (106). The author uses the argument that study space is limited in Hong Kong to help the reader visualize the reasons for the children and teens to go to McDonald’s in order to study for exams and meet with friends. Watson states, â€Å"Interviews with teenagers revealed that McDonald's is perceived as a place that offers more space, in the literal sense of distance between tables, than any other public eatery in Hong Kong (save for the more expensive restaurants)† (106). Clearly, McDonald’s is seen as a safe place for children and teens to gather and spend time without fear of violence and the author even states that McDonald's staff keep a sharp watch for possible fights or disruptions, but trouble of this nature rarely breaks out in fast food restaurants. Managers know by sight most of the gang members in their neighborhood and sometimes delegate a (large) male employee to shadow potential troublemakers-standing uncomfortably close to them, watching every move (105). It is for these reasons, among many others, that McDonald’s has the iconic status in China that it does. By setting themselves as the standard, based upon the evidence given by the author through observations, interviews with clientele and interviews with the management, McDonald’s restaurants have become an integral part of Chinese society. The arguments put forth by the author, as evidenced in this paper, make for an effective argument about the importance of McDonald’s on Chinese society. By using quotes from clientele and management alike, Watson backs up his statements and beliefs enough to make them wholly reliable. The inclusion of facts gleaned from the McDonald’s corporation also serves to support his conclusions he has reached that McDonald’s is part of a new cultural era in Hong Kong.

College Development Essay

Residential life is part of almost every college or university. When most people think about residential life, they think of dorms and roommates; however, residential life is much more. The organizations are mostly divided into three units that make it all work: residence life programs, housing operations, and room assignments. (â€Å"College and university,†) Residence life is one of the major parts of a student’s environment. They only spend about twenty percent of their time in classrooms, as they spend most of their free time in housing. Residential life helps students to develop as young adults and future leaders. â€Å"The purpose of residence life programs is to provide educational programming, nonclinical counseling, and support for student learning†. (â€Å"College and university,†) People who are employed in residential programs mostly focus on improving student life and its safety, which helps to develop communication skills among people and also increase personal growth among student peers. The second unit of resident life is housing operations; they deal with daily tasks such as cleanliness, construction, and management. In a residential setting, is important to keep the environment clean and the buildings running properly in order for the community to work. The last unit of residential life is room assignments, in which finding the best-fit roommate is the most important. This area of residential life is designated to make room changes and monitor the occupancy of other housings. If there is a situation where problem occurs among roommates, the roommate assignment staff tries to find the best solution to find a resolution. Although it is often not realized, Residential Life is a big part of student life as it is a major factor in shaping a student’s experience in the institution. To ensure that residential life is at its best, the institution hires educated and professional staff. Almost every floor in each dorm has a residential assistant, who is responsible for maintaining a positive environment and be there for students if they are having a hard time adjusting. Residential assistants also welcome the students back to their dorms and inform students about upcoming activities and clubs. At the beginning of the school year, the RA creates a Facebook page for the people that they are responsible for and have group meetings to discuss issues and regulations. This helps new students feel welcome in their dorm and creates an environment where students can interact with other people in their dorms. Most dorms also have residence directors or graduate assistance. â€Å"Their responsibilities usually include staff development of their RAs, student counseling, educational programming, enforcement of institutional policies in the residence halls, and may also include other functions such as academic advising, intramural sports adviser, and facilities management†. (â€Å"College and university,†) If the RA cannot deal with a problem, they report to residence director or graduate assistance, depending on who is available to their building. The staff goes through training to make sure that every need of a student is met. â€Å"There is a strong need for well-qualified, educated, and trained entry-lever live-in professional staff in campus residence halls to support and achieve the academic and educational goals of the institution† (Belch, Wilson & Dunkel). It is important for students to be engaged and connected to school spirit, as it is more likely that they will remain in that institution. (Brooks). Each institution wants to give the best experience and education possible to their students. The person that oversees the Residential Assistants, Residential Directors, and Graduate Assistances is the Assistant Director of Residential Life. Keyne Cahoon is the Assistant Director of residential Life at Northeastern University and has many tasks during the day that keep her busy: â€Å"My primary responsibility is to directly supervise 5, 2 GAs, and indirectly supervise approximately 50 RAs. Additionally, I am responsible for the overall administration of the residential student conduct process (so I work with OSCCR to review and assign cases where residential student are involved), I am in charge of the professional staff recruitment and selection process (so I recruit and coordinate the process to hire all RDs and Assistant Directors of Residential Life), and I serve as a core team member of We Care†. (Cahoon, 2013) Being an Assistant Director of Residential Life is more than just dealing with housing situations. It involves a lot of communication among co-workers, documentations, and solving sometimes-unrealistic problems. Keyne Cahoon enjoys this challenge: â€Å"I enjoy students’ energy and excitement. I enjoy helping them figure out a problem and helping them solve it themselves†. (Cahoon, 2013) She is really involved in the community and enjoys every second of it. She finds her job very interesting and her passion makes her job a hobby. The only person who oversees her work is Brie McCormick, the Associate Director of Residential Life. She supervises the Assistant Director of Residential Life and deals with a lot of day-to-day issues for the department as a whole. The Associate Dean of Cultural, Residential & Spiritual Life of Northeastern University is Robert Jose. He represents the Residential life as a whole unit. The theories that Residential Life uses are theories of organizations and campus environments, typology theories and models, and student success theories. All of these theories have the main focus to improve on student life outside of the classroom. Residential Life aims to provide complex learning by giving students the opportunities to make friends, be part of a groups or a clubs, play a sports, and much more. Living in dorms teaches them how to deal with every day situations in classrooms or outside. Students will be able to be â€Å"able to apply acquired knowledge to everyday situations, able to communicate clearly and effectively, acts responsibly to others, is civic minded, understands and appreciates those of other nationalities and cultures, is self-aware, and has a sense of connectedness to the university†. (Brooks) Living in the dorms helps students prepare for life after college or university and enables them to apply the things they have learned to a variety of situations. References Belch, H. A. , Wilson, M. E. , & Dunkel, N. (n. d. ). Cultures of success:recruiting and retaining new live-in residence life professionals. The College Student Affairs Journal, 27(2), 176-193. Brooks, S. E. (n. d. ). The connection between residence life and first-year student retention at the university of Pittsburgh. The Journal of College and University Student Housing, 37(1), 12-23. College and university residence halls – purpose of residence halls, organization and administration, residence hall staffing, residence hall student government read more: College and university residence halls – purpose of residence halls, organization and administration, residence hall staffing, residence hall student government. (n. d. ). Retrieved from.

Ontemporary dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ontemporary dance - Essay Example There has never been a single specific style of modern dance in any era. Though it often uses the body alignment and movement of ballet, modern dance has developed beyond the vocabulary of ballet, and has reached the threshold of success due to these three modern choreographic creators. Ruth St Denis was one of the most prominent dance creators of the First generation; she was the pioneer of modern dance in the era in which there was no concept of turning dance into choreography. It is often said that Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey were influenced by St Denis, this is due to the fact they were classmates who studied dance together in 1920s, later they broke away and developed their own philosophies of modern dance which provided these women the opportunity to become directors and choreographers. "Particularly, in the ballet world, these roles had been and continue to be dominated by men". (Dance, 2006) St. Denis was the one who escorted traditional dance to the threshold of modern dance where she incorporated elements of Far Eastern dance into her choreography. Later St. Denis married her dance partner Ted Shawn who founded the "Denishawn" company and trained many great dancers who went on to form their own companies. Martha Graham akin to St Denis, has had an enormous impact on the field of modern dance. "Her notion of contraction and release (a torso based movement of a sharp intake of breath followed by a strong exhalation), her groundbreaking dances based on mythology, and her theatrical personality have made her the best known modern dancer of all time. Graham created a technique that emphasized "contraction and release". These words are now synonymous with modern dance. Graham was the first modern dance choreographer to reach out to other genres of modern art for collaboration. She is considered the most influential and famous modern choreographer of the 20th century. Humphrey developed a fundamental theory of movement based on "fall and recovery" that became the basis of her technique". (Dance, 2006) There is a difference between the influences of Martha Graham and Humphrey, Graham developed her own choreographical dances while Humphrey remained in contact with St Denis by joining her Deinshawn Company in 1917 and was teaching classes and performing with the company in featured roles. "Charles Weidman was Humphrey's choreographic and dance partner in the 1920s and 1930s, and was himself a key figure in the development of the American modern dance. Humphrey began her choreographic career while at Denishawn, where she created, with St. Denis, famous pieces like "Soaring," set to the Schumman score of the same title, and "Sonata Pathetique," to the Beethoven score". "In 1928, Humphrey and Charles Weidman left the Denishawn company to found their own school and company. Like Martha Graham, Humphrey was interested in moving away from the sentimentalis m and romanticism of the Denishawn company toward a new dance vocabulary and style that was truly "modern"." (The Solo Dancers) Ruth St. Denis created an exotic movement vocabulary through dancing and choreography that balanced precariously between sensuality and religion. By the 1930s Martha Graham was developing a dance technique whose angularity and sharp

Micro hydro power design Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Micro hydro power design - Case Study Example n towards production of more environmental friendly energy as oppose to the use of oil, these includes all renewable energy sources such as wind, biomass, solar and more importantly hydro power since it is the most efficient way of producing power in large quantities without damaging the environment (U.S. Department of Energy, 2008). Water is the most abundant resource in the world and as result its energy, in the form potential energy can be dammed and utilized in production of electricity. The dam retains the water and the potential energy rises as the height above the base increases, this water is directed to a turbine by the use of penstock and after working on the turbine, it exists through the tailrace. The critical parts of the turbine includes the caps connected to a shaft, the flowing water exerts a rotary motion on the caps/blades, which causes the shaft to turn in a circular manner. This shaft connects to a generator with a core trapped in a magnet’s poles, which causes electromagnetic induction (USGS, 2008). This electricity generated is then transmitted via cabling to households or for other purposes. In summary, the flowing water and the generator forms the backbone of the hydropower. The water provides the force that turns a rotor with field windings. The windings are supplied with an excitation voltage to set up an electric field, with the rotation of the, magnetically induced current flows to the stator which is a cylindrical ring encased with another magnetic windings. The two windings are separated by about 2mm air gas (USGS, 2008). Today, hydropower systems are cable of producing power ranging from 1MG to 100MG with more possibilities of producing power in small scale with low flow parameters and micro generators. Small dams, commonly known as weirs are used to trap and retain the water, which is then directed to a turbine via piping systems, the generator that produce power for residential usage then utilizes the force. The project

Ethnic Groups and Multiracial Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethnic Groups and Multiracial Identity - Essay Example Racial stereotyping and crime in the society is partly attributed to the poverty levels in the society among people from a particular race. The Senator should address the issue of education and in particular the low enrollment levels and high drop out rates from school by children from particular races. The ability to attain good jobs can only be related to the ability to secure good education and training hence members of the African American community have been segregated in employment due to lack of enough education. High unemployment rates among the youth are the leading causes of crime like drug peddling and violent robberies hence the Senator should ensure youth receive property education. The Senator should also increase the rehabilitation facilities for drug patients and the correctional facilities for petty offenders. Lack of counseling and support services have increased the crime levels in the neighborhood. The Senator should work towards racial integration by establishing cultural centers and community centers where each racial group can celebrate and preserve their unique culture and traditions. The Senator should consider increasing the welfare benefits to the poor citizens. The Senator should consider the issue of taxation where he can advocate for reduction in the tax rates for the people whose income is not adequate for housing and other basic needs. The Senator should increase the housing provision facilities. Question 3 people of power: law, Supreme Court and congress Dr Friedman asserts that people lobby and assert pressure on their government for many social changes. He continues by saying the legal justice system is the product of people demand. The society shapes the legal framework and must live within the framework. The legal system reflects the power structure and authority in the society. He believes that the wealth and power influence the making and execution of the laws where big corporations and rich people run the country. He beli eves the middle class can be powerful but its keeps being divided and fragmented. He believes the minorities and civil rights are protected by the law but our ideals affect the policies which we pursue. Laws are made by legislatures enacted through popular vote and rulings are given by the Supreme Court hence want counts are the strength of the pillars holding the systems. The Supreme Court was established by Article 3 of the US constitution which did not explain the clear duties and powers of the Court. American Constitution denied African Americans citizenship. In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment and Civil Rights Act of 1866 gave all citizens equal rights and ended slavery. Citizenships were granted to Non-white Americas in 1868 where no State was required to make laws that deprive any person of life, property without due law process being followed. African Americans were granted the right to vote in 1870 but on criteria that they could read the Constitution provisions fluently with out any error. In 1854, the Supreme Court in the case of Scott V. Sandford, ruled that Dred Scott was still a slave despite having lived in â€Å"free states† for several years hence he was the property of the owner. In the same case, Justice Taney ruled that Scott had no the capacity to bring the case to court since he was not a U.S citizen. The most historic Supreme Court ruling on race was delivered by Justice Thurgood Marshall who was the first

Death of Stalin and Soviet Succession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Death of Stalin and Soviet Succession - Essay Example Malenkov emphasized on consumer goods production that saw the reduction of the tax payments by the peasants as well as the collective farm policy. Nikita thought also of an agricultural policy and this led him to develop the virgin lands. Nikita forged alliances with other parties to strengthen his position and he forced Malenkov to resign since he was party less. Nikita achieved as the successor of Stalin where he revived the party apparatus and reasserted control over the military, state security, and the state ministers. Kim Donggil account is that the Soviets took way North Korean properties such as food and factories left by the Japanese and the issue led to the Korean War. According to the author, Stalin did not like the presence of China or America in Korea since he had interests in the country. Stalin approved Kim II Sung attack on the Republic of Korea to guarantee Soviet political and economic interests in Korea while avoiding a direct clash with America in the region. Stalin actions were to advance Soviet interests in the sphere of influence to demand postwar strategic plan while avoiding the precipitation of Third World War. Stalin abandoned the pursuit of cooperation while he acted to tighten Soviet control in Eastern Europe. Shen Zhihua declares that Moscow need to know the American military apparatus, weapon stockpiles, troop dispositions, and atomic armaments. Moscow dispatched a Soviet doctor to spy on Mao Tse-tung while treating the Chinese red boss.2 The Soviet planned to collaborate with Korean once they realized that American troops had under strength and poor equipments in the country. Moscow assumed that United States had no chance of sending reinforcements in Korea. To guide a Soviet-Korean operation, Moscow dispatched 10,000 Russian officers and military supplies at Manchuria so that they can observe United States tactics to enable them plan on the enemy combative

The Ideal Classroom and School Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Ideal Classroom and School - Assignment Example This essay describes the role of education and how it can be assisted by the ideal classroom and school, ultimately concluding that such concepts are tied into present culture and needs and so should remain flexible. Ultimately, the construction of any ideal is dependent upon perspective and the ability to meet the needs of one's learners. It is therefore imperative that ideals are not copied from one place to another, but that each educator seeks their own answers. Many of the more pragmatic suggestions for creating an ideal classroom in research literature relate to secondary education, but interestingly the two projects currently attempting to construct an ideal classroom are focussing on the primary age range. With the practicalities of constructing an ideal classroom at an early stage in academic literature, a more philosophical approach is taken in this essay. From this perspective, practical ideas are discussed in terms of why they are thought to be ideal. As the notion of an ideal classroom is as much a theoretical as a practical concern, I do not judge the existing literature to be lacking as empirical research into an ideal classroom would be heavily dependent upon its culture and context, arguably suffering from a lack of generalisability from its very nature. The broader role of education discussed by Wragg in Moon et al. ... The broader role of education discussed by Wragg in Moon et al. (2002) includes flexibility, that the aim is simply to meet students' needs. While this slightly dodges a question by posing another question (e.g. who determines and limits the needs), the intent suggests that the concept of 'ideal' has to be a fluid one. An ideal classroom now may not be one in 20 years, nor is the ideal classroom for a London school necessarily ideal for a similar school in Hull. The concept of an ideal classroom and school may be culture bound as much as it is resource driven, so it is necessarily to strictly define for what purpose the classroom is 'ideal'. As with Moon et al. (ibid), this poses the question "ideal for what" To argue that education has changed so little over millennia suggests comparison to another field where little has changed, namely philosophy. Philosophy has value to society for its questions rather than its answers, and I would argue that education is very much the same. It is so much a part of our human and social condition that each generation must ask itself the same questions even if the answers are only temporary. If philosophy is the question of who we are, education represents who we want to be. In the thousands of years of human education, classrooms and schools are a relatively recent innovation. They arguably account for a small proportion of what is learnt through a lifetime, for example Moon argues that the challenge for formal teaching is how to transpose the extraordinary human capacity for learning, particularly in the young, to those artificial worlds we have created in schools and classrooms. (Moon et al., 2002 p.3) McIntyre illustrates this point by stressing that the "concept of teaching has no