Liberty of Frenchising

»Review«

Franchising replicates business models, promising entrepreneurial independence while simultaneously establishing rigid control structures, all while outsourcing—privatizing—business risk to the franchisee. It sells the “American Dream” of small business ownership, but ultimately masks precarious employment conditions as entrepreneurial opportunity.

“Frenchising,” Gallicized by swapping the “a” for an “e” since the Statue of Liberty was a French gift, unites French Revolutionary ideals with franchise capitalism. The Statue of Liberty becomes McDonald’s branding, an ownership mark of the fast-food corporation.