Group 3 Proposal

Catherine Kennedy, Dakota Springston, Samantha Corron, Josh Wolfe =Group 3 Project=

Proposal
The subject we plan to research is the hamburger as a sandwich. We hope to prove that while the hamburger has become universally loved, it is also tied to the American identity through commercialization, becoming an icon of American corporate interests and market expansion.

In our paper we plan to discuss the hamburger as a unifier and comfort food, as well as its impact on general health, the obesity epidemic, and global warming. These are all issues strongly associated with America, and the hamburger is connected to all of them. How so? We will also look at the globalization of the hamburger through the fast food industry and how it it fits American lifestyle. Americans are known to like things that are quick, easy and good. Hamburgers fit perfectly into this model, and corporations were able to capitalize on it, creating an industry that feeds a large portion of our nation and world. McDonalds is the face of America around the globe, and for many the first thing they think of when they hear the word "America." Is this a negative image? Lastly we will discuss the development of the burger and how it has changed, along with the condiments that are associated with hamburgers. Hamburgers have adapted to fit every dietary restriction (veggie burger, turkey burger, mushroom burger, lamb burger, etc.) Why is this so? Where did each of these condiments emmerge from and why were the paired with the burger? There will be a brief introduction that includes the origin of the hamburger before we delve into our argument. This will include what ethnic group created it, why it was decided to be put into a sandwhich, and how it grew in popularity. We decided to focus on the hamburger as a sandwich because we deemed it important to limit our research in order to maintain quality. By using the diversification of the hamburger, its spread throughout America, and its symbolism we hope to exemplify its appeal. On the contrary, by looking at the hamburgers mass production and its introduction to chain restaurants and fast food we hope to show its connection to the negative aspects stated above.

Significance
The hamburger holds a lot of significance in American culture. For many it tops the list of their favorite foods, and all have a special way they like it cooked. It has not only become well loved by the American people, but through the globalization of fast food it has become an image and identifier of America around the world. This German idea has now become a quintessential American dish whose variations show our national diversity. Examining this phenomenon will allow us to better understand mass movement of products and how one item can change the view of a company, let alone a country.

Disclaimer

 * All group members met together on Wednesday and Thursday, September 8th and 9th, 2010 in the Simpson library to work on this project proposal.** **WE CANNOT FIGURE OUT WIKI AND HOW TO MAKE THIS INTO SEPERATE PARAGRAPHS** ***SORRY!!!!!!***