Heartburn at the Gates of Heaven

In 1995, McDonald''s proposed to build a fast-food restaurant in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. News of the proposal sparked a lively community debate that continued for over eight years. Many Blue Mountains residents rallied against the global corporation whom they considered a threat to local businesses and the unique character of the locality. However, other residents in favour of the fast-food development suggested that attempts to ban McDonald''s were motivated by culinary elitism and some prejudices towards ‘ordinary'' working-class people. ''Heartburn at the Gates of Heaven'' examines the remarkable debate over place-identity and culture that surrounded the McDonald''s dispute. Using both social theory and psychoanalysis, this book identifies the significance of culture, aesthetics, and social class within the context of urban development politics.