Americanization and Globalization

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The essence of globalization as Americanization is "the import by non- Americans of products, images, technologies, practices, and behavior that are closely associated with America/ Americans." (Ritzer 86). I think that to some extent, America is trying to reshape the rest of the world in our image. As we discussed in class today, many American companies want to sell their products internationally. I think that most companies look at the opportunity as a chance to reach a broader audience and make more money. On the other hand, I'm sure that there are companies out there that are trying to sell their products and ideas to other countries in an attempt to make their countries more like ours. For example, I think that a company like McDonalds went international because the company realized how popular it had become in the United States and thought that people in other countries would like it to, so financially it made sense to go international. However, Americanization is about more than just products but also extends to government structure, ideas, and ways of life. I think that when it comes to government structure and living standards, the United States definitely tries to make other countries conform to our way of life. For instance, when the Holocaust was going on in Europe, the United States was so outraged at what was going on, that they sent soldiers to Germany to make them stop. Granted, the Holocaust was a horrible, horrible event in history and I think that the United States was right to try and destroy the Nazi party, it's still an example of how the United States didn't agree with what was going on in one country so they took it upon themselves to restore order. Although Americanization can be seen in a positive light in many instances, there are also many ways in which anti-Americanization is expressed. Many countries see the United States as a threat

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