Franchising the Golden Arches in Italy. A New Perspective on Americanization

The article discusses whether “Americanization” is still a viable concept to historically investigate Euro-American relations, and how the related process has changed in an era of growing global integration, multipolarity and competition like the one opened by the rise of the “Neoliberal order” in the 1970s-1980s. It does so through the case study provided by the arrival of McDonald’s in Italy and the debate on the country’s Americanization during the 1980s. By framing McDonald’s export of its franchising formula within the growth of Italy’s franchising industry, the article casts light on new forms of American hegemony.