The global-local encounter has spawned a complex polemic between ‘homogenizers’ and ‘heterogenizers’. Does globalization lead to universal cultural uniformity, or leave room for particularism and cultural diversity? This article proposes shifting the ground of the debate from the homogeneous-heterogeneous dichotomy to a structural-symbolic construct. It is argued here that while both homogenization and heterogenization occur, they do so at different societal levels: homogenization occurs at the structural-institutional level; heterogenization at the expressive-symbolic. This approach is illustrated by a case study of the ‘McDonaldization’ of Israeli society. Encounters between McDonald’s and the Israeli national habitus and national ideology are examined.
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