What urban legends tell us about fast food networks?

• Grant number: 14/08595-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2014
• End date: June 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Anthropology
• Principal Investigator: Felipe Ferreira Vander Velden
• Grantee: Ana Carolina Garbuio
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the emergence conditions and the propagation of certain types of narratives called "urban legends", specifically related to fast food franchise networks and the general contemporary food industry. We will follow Michel Foucault concept of "will to truth", observing how these truth regimes are described in the analyzed narratives and these urban legends' unmasking processes. The work has a case study popular urban legends related to the McDonald's franchises, specially a common sense enunciate affirming that the McDonald's hamburgers are not made of real flesh. We'll also analyze the KFC chicken urban legend, and the case of a dead mouse found inside a Coca Cola bottle in Brazil, along with other narratives that are focused in alimentation, food and it's industry. Through the collection of interviews and oral histories of employees, former employees and consumers, especially those who work and eat at McDonald's franchise (which consequently consume Coca-Cola), we are expecting to elucidate popular enunciated perceptions about fast food and their manufacturing; their processes of industrialization and consumption, as well how these popular narratives are articulate with the discourses of large corporations, mutually reinforcing themselves. Therefore, the advertising produced to the companies will also be analyzed. We'll also seek for debates and reactions, raised by the spread these of narratives on websites, blogs and social networking services.