Social influences from the United States have impacted the way of life in countries such as Jamaica. For instance, American based fast food establishments have become prominent throughout foreign cities as one is bound to see the unmistakable logos as he/she approaches a McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, TGIF, and the list goes on and on. It does not even matter that the cost of meals sold at the foreign franchises is overpriced since even the poor will find a way to purchase that quick meal to show their connection to the United States.
Homes have access to cable television services which broadcast programs directly from the U.S. So visitors to the island never miss their favorite program and continue to keep abreast of the happenings in the U.S. On the other hand, the locals are bombarded with the American way of life and are lead to believe that one can only be successful if they possess the advertised clothes, shoes, cars, food, etc. Further, the cable programs that depict violence, drugs, and other crimes have often been blamed for the decline in discipline, moral standards, and the drastic increase in crime rate in Jamaica.
To fulfill the appetite for American products, imports from the United States are at an all time high. So, with the misconceived notions that foreign items are better, there is a great desire to possess American products, and this diminishes the desire to produce or manufacture local goods. Further, government programs that could encourage locals to produce and manufacture goods locally are non-existent. This lack of effort to produce locally not only makes the country heavily reliant on products from abroad but the foreign minded mentality promote the blatant employment of foreigners including foreign contractors to work as highly overpaid consultants. Meanwhile, the services of highly qualified graduates from the local universities are overlooked. So, it is no wonder why there is a brain drain of talented individuals who take their intellectual capabilities to, of course, the United States. Countries such as Jamaica will continue to be influenced by life styles in the United States with the locals maintaining the misconceived notion that "everything foreign must be better!"
Social influences from the United States have impacted the way of life in countries such as Jamaica. For instance, American based fast food establishments have become prominent throughout foreign cities as one is bound to see the unmistakable logos as he/she approaches a McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, TGIF, and the list goes on and on. It does not even matter that the cost of meals sold at the foreign franchises is overpriced since even the poor will find a way to purchase that quick meal to show their connection to the United States.
Homes have access to cable television services which broadcast programs directly from the U.S. So visitors to the island never miss their favorite program and continue to keep abreast of the happenings in the U.S. On the other hand, the locals are bombarded with the American way of life and are lead to believe that one can only be successful if they possess the advertised clothes, shoes, cars, food, etc. Further, the cable programs that depict violence, drugs, and other crimes have often been blamed for the decline in discipline, moral standards, and the drastic increase in crime rate in Jamaica.
To fulfill the appetite for American products, imports from the United States are at an all time high. So, with the misconceived notions that foreign items are better, there is a great desire to possess American products, and this diminishes the desire to produce or manufacture local goods. Further, government programs that could encourage locals to produce and manufacture goods locally are non-existent. This lack of effort to produce locally not only makes the country heavily reliant on products from abroad but the foreign minded mentality promote the blatant employment of foreigners including foreign contractors to work as highly overpaid consultants. Meanwhile, the services of highly qualified graduates from the local universities are overlooked. So, it is no wonder why there is a brain drain of talented individuals who take their intellectual capabilities to, of course, the United States. Countries such as Jamaica will continue to be influenced by life styles in the United States with the locals maintaining the misconceived notion that "everything foreign must be better!"
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