Research Proposal for Term Project

Research Proposal

Masayuki Iwase

CMNS 801

Professor Marontate

April 8, 2008

This research proposal provides a plan of organizing my term project for CMNS 801, which attempts to develop a detailed methodological strategy for my own MA thesis. In what follows, I provide: 1) MA research general topic and the primary focus for the term project; 2) the operationalization of variables; 3) research questions; and 4) data collection methods.

MA Research Topic & Primary Focus for the Project

I am pursuing my MA thesis on the following topic: Today’s Japanese Young People’s Experience of Cultural Branding of Global Fast Food Industries: Toward Designing Media Education about Their Cultural Relations to Food. My term project for CMNS 801 will develop a methodological strategy for investigating the first aspect of this topic as my primary focus, which includes cultural branding of global fast food industries in Japan and today’s Japanese young people’s experience of it. (And it is through this investigation that I intend to explore and design ideal media education that enables them to critically reflect upon the cultural branding, their own food choices and consumption, and their cultural relations to food).

Operationalization of Variables

Crucial variables I will specifically look at in the focus include “cultural branding”, “global fast food industries in Japan”, and “Japanese young people”. I operationalize these as follows:

Cultural branding: the set of axioms and strategic principle that guide the building of material markers (e.g., a name, a trademarked logo, unique packaging, and other unique design features) into particular identity value or cultural icon (i.e., a person or thing regarded as a symbol, especially of a culture or movement; a person, institution, etc., considered worthy of admiration and respect) (Holt, 2004, p. 10-11)
Global fast food industries in Japan: both American-born McDonalds’ and Japanese-born Mos Burger
Today’s Japanese young people: both male and female individuals aged 10 to 12 (or grade 10 to 12) who are living in a metropolitan area of Japan

Research Questions

Research questions suited to investigating my focus include: 1) How is cultural branding of McDonald’s and Mos Burger produced and disseminated to consumers today? And how does it differ from each other?; 2) How do today’s Japanese young people experience cultural branding of McDonald’s and Mos Burger? (Or more precisely, what are their attitudes and motivations towards it?).

Data Collection Methods

Data collection methods I will show in the term project adopt the “interpretative paradigm”, though which I seek to “understand the fundamental nature of the social world at the level of subjective experience” (Burrel & Morgan, 1982, p. 28). (I also use this paradigm to further relate to both the “radical humanist” and the “radical structuralist” paradigms) I will provide three major data collection methods with which I intend to investigate my focus.

Qualitative, in-depth individual interviews with a spokesperson
Here, I will provide detailed plans and procedures of how the qualitative, in-depth interviews with a spokesperson of a public relations office of McDonald’s and Mos Burger by emphasizing the importance of preparing a consent form; a few general topics to help uncover a spokesperson’s views of cultural branding of the companies; issues of transcribing and translating languages from a tape-recording.
Qualitative discourse analysis of mediated cultural artifacts and texts
Here, I will provide detailed plans and procedures of how cultural branding of McDonald’s and Mos Burger can be analyzed by qualitative discourse analysis of their produced and disseminated mediated cultural artifacts and texts (e.g., TV commercials, magazine ads, billboard ads, and other advertising spread across cultural spaces in a city). I will emphasize the importance of the visual in terms of conducting qualitative discourse analysis. (I will also consider the significance of visual discourse of the companies attempting to market their commodities through new information and communication technologies (ICTs).)
Ethnographic group (focus-group) interviews with Japanese young people
Here, I will provide detailed plans and procedures of how cultural branding of McDonald’s and Mos Burger can be investigated through understanding today’s Japanese young people’s experience of it. Specifically, I will provide discussions of who will be selected as informants; how (when and where) they will be recruited (i.e., purposive/convenient sampling procedure); and the strength of group interviews (as opposed to individual interviews). From the perspective of reception study and active audience study, I will emphasize how they make sense of particular cultural branding and exercise particular make-meaning practices with it.

Reference

Burrell, G., Morgan, G. (1982). Sociological Paradigms and Organizatinal Analysis: Elements of the Sociology of Corporate Life. London: Heinemann.

Holt, D. (2004). How Brands Become Icons: The Principles of Cultural Branding. Boston; Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press.