In the United States, we are used to seeing fast food places everywhere. Some cities may even have a road lined with all the different restaurants. Even one small town may see multiple of the same specific restaurant. We may think this a uniquely American feature, but every year more fast food companies are opening more chains all over the world. The Vice video explores this, specifically how American fast food is leading to health problems in Kuwait. Every restaurant can be found there from MacDonald’s and Hardee’s to Pizza Hut and KFC. There it is not uncommon for a person to eat out as little as four times a week or up to three times per day. This is in part due to the accessibility and low price of the food in addition to being places for socialization. Families and friends spend a significant amount of time in American fast food chains as the country of Kuwait does not allow alcohol and thus there are no bars to go to. While the over all health of the country is alarming, there is another phenomenon happening. American companies are expanding to numerous countries, Kuwait is just one example and could have been almost any other country.
This trend is known as cultural diffusion, the American way of getting a quick dinner from MacDonald’s is becoming a part of life outside of America to other groups of people. While cultural diffusion is not immediately bad, it can lead to certain issues like that of health as seen in Kuwait. If enough aspects of one culture are spread, it becomes known as cultural leveling. This is a gradual process where cultures become increasingly similar. Cultural leveling can be alarming and some countries try to protect themselves from undesired influences. For instance, China doesn’t allow access to Facebook and other American websites believing them to be “endangering national security” (cpj.org). An extreme example of course is North Korea, which allows virtually no outside influences. With cultural leveling we lose the richness of cultures and traditions as western (American) products are (in a certain light) being imposed on other countries. We see this as Kuwaitis eat fast food instead of making regional dishes. For a while some countries may be able to bar western influences like American fast food. However, it may prove impossible as the world becomes smaller due to technology. As American companies continue to expand and influence other cultures, cultural imperialism comes closer into view. Cultural imperialism is the cultural “invasion” of different culture. This concept goes beyond just fast food chains, it is large scale, from celebrities and entertainment to clothing and products. Though this may seem daunting, it’s important to keep an optimistic perspective. Culture and tradition mean a lot to us. Individual cultures won’t be easily let go because they lend themselves as an identity.
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List of countries than use censorship/restrict and why:
https://cpj.org/2015/04/10-most-censored-countries.phph
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