As argued by Atkins and Bowler (2001): one factor in the origin and persistence of foodways is that they often represent an important expression of our identity, both as individuals and in reference to a broader ethnic, class or religious grouping.
I relate that to food being a representation of cultures, rice and noodles represent some Asian cultures, snails represent the French culture and pasta for Italian culture. In Australian Aboriginal culture for example there are many foods consumed by the colonisers' English language has no interpretation for and mainstream Australia no knowledge of. Examples are the pearl shell oyster which was displayed recently in a Brisbane newspaper as an exotic delicacy whereas my family have been consuming this food for nearly 40,000 years and refer to them as koenpes.Food can also be a representation of social class. The wealthy are associated with champagne and caviar whereas, the poor are associated with McDonalds, bread and cheap soft drinks at best.
I have attached online article about food being an expression of social identity: http://www.cromrev.com/volumes/vol33/10-vol33-Cornejo.pdf
Food plays a big role for religious groups, for example the Hindu people do not eat beef as the cow is seen as a sacred symbol, Jewish people do not eat pork and Catholics do not eat red meat on Fridays.
Food has many important roles throughout the world and in many societies. It is an expression of our identity. (Kuttanien, 2013)
When observing my social network the Mount Isa Vent Page (MIVP) there is little to no discussion in relation to the cultural aspects associated with food. The MIVP is a small local group of people who appear to have little cultural awareness or exposure. Their main focus is on being negative and complaining about local minuscule problems. I think that the vents could be more more in depth than the wait times in the KFC or McDonalds lines. It would be interesting to see what the vents would consist of if they had thought with a broad mind about how food is a symbol for religious, ethnic groups and social classes or just thinking differently in general.
References:
Kuttanien, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place, Week 7 notes. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from: http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Atkins, P., & Bowler, I. (2001). The origins of taste, in Food in society: Economy, culture, geography(pp 273-284). London, England: Arnold. Retrieved from: http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
Image Reference:
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/175/3/f/you_are_what_you_eat_by_sebreg-d54q6gc.jpg
Hi Carmen,
ReplyDeleteGreat post and really effective image. I think the image and your post also touches on themes through Patel's reading week seven. You are what you eat. The bellies of the world are being bloated with sugary and fatty food habits; even a healthy apple is subject to 'fast food qualities' for profit and market driven agenda (Patel, 2007).
There are more overweight and hungry people than ever before in history. Global hunger and mass obesity are indications of a world food distribution problem (Patel, 2007). The poor starve, while the wealthy eat unhealthy food by choice. To me this says that our identity is a somewhat self-involved/indulgent character that seems to be dictated by corporations seeking market share at whatever cost necessary. Moral condemnation is only relevant if the condemned could have done something different (Patel, 2007).
Reference List
Patel, R (2007). Introduction. Stuffed and Starved. (pp.1-19). Melbourne, Victoria: Black Inc. Retrieved from: hppt://learnjcu.com.au
Hi Carmen,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your article and you've made a lot of interesting points. It's fascinating how over the years foods have become linked with different class structures. I read this quote from Paige Gutierrez, "for instance, recounts how crawfish-eating Cajuns used to hide their preference because of its associations with poverty" (Atkins & Bowler, 2001, p.274).
It's sad that food which is so much more healthier than the mass produced garbage many people eat today, was considered to be better for you to eat than fresh fish. It's also awful, that a culture could feel shame over food that provided them with their livelihood. A much more honourable one at that, than the CEOs of these large corporations who have made billions around the world from producing such unhealthy food for children.