Bottled And Paradox

740 Words2 Pages

Synopsis: The viewpoints offered in “Food and Society: Principles and Paradoxes” and “Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water” provide a glimpse into the consumption and materialistic culture of society. Food is a universal constant in communities all over the globe; food is used as a means of communion amongst people, humans have designed institutions dedicated to the act of eating food, and food by definition allows humans to exist. In the beginning chapters of “Food and Society: Principles and Paradoxes” food is analyzed in three manners: the association between restaurant culture and food, food as a means of advertisement and marketing, and lastly, food’s role in the societal institutions. “Bottled and Sold: …show more content…

The process of consumption in the restaurant culture possess many layers of depth. In order for an individual to have a meal at a restaurant, numerous instances of “invisible labor” and “emotional labor” are undergone to provide a pristine experience for the customers (Food and Society). Invisible labor, as described by Guptil et al., is the preparation that goes into creating a meal that is neither compensated nor properly acknowledged, Guptil et al. then go onto describe emotional labor as the propensity for individuals working within a restaurant to maintain cordiality regardless of a customer’s emotional state at the time of dining. The experience of eating at a restaurant propagates the consumption culture within society because it allows individuals to enjoy well prepared food without the hassle of dealing with different forms of …show more content…

Athletes drink bottled water during sporting events, students carry around bottled water at school, families buy cases of bottled water due to its convenience and versatility. According to Peter Gleick in “Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water”, it was not long ago that society had no desire nor use for bottled water. From the times of Ancient Greece to modern Cleveland, Ohio, water has evolved to become safer to consume but has also become a product very much engrained in the materialistic and consumption culture of society (Bottled and Sold). Individuals are subconsciously trained to select, consume, and discard due to the nature of bottled water. Not only is this mindset associated with bottled water, it has also become apparent that branding and marketing of bottled water is now valued as much as the safety of the water being consumed (Bottled and Sold). Poland Springs, known to many individuals that purchase bottled water, for some time now has been decreasing the amount of water that it siphons from Alfred, Maine (Wikipedia). Poland Springs promises to provide water that is properly tested and from the springs of Maine, but according to “Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water” the FDA does not do an adequate job recalling unsafe water and thus has allowed companies such as Poland Springs to add chemicals and purifiers in water

Show More
Related

  • Bottled Water, the Reality

    1455 Words  | 3 Pages

    Zhang, J. (2009, July 13). More Scrutiny Urged for Bottled Water . Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970203577304574276473594279310?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052970203577304574276473594279310.html

    Read More

  • More Evidence Needed to Support George Ritzer's McDonaldization Thesis

    2150 Words  | 5 Pages

    The author introduces the concept of the "new means of consumption" to illustrate the ways in which not only business, but cultural, practices are threatened by McDonaldization. Defined as "those things owned by capitalists and rendered by them as necessary to customers in order for them to consume" (91), examples of the new means of consumption include fast-food restaurants, credit cards, mega-malls, home shopping television networks, and cybermalls. The critical point for the author is that each changes the ways individuals consume. For example, the exportation of fast-food restaurants and American eating habits, with their emphasis on food as something to be consumed as quickly, efficiently, and inexpensively as possible, alters the way people eat and, thereby, "poses a profound threat to the entire cultural complex of many societies" (8).

    Read More

  • Cynthia Barnett And Selling Bottled Water

    742 Words  | 2 Pages

    Together, the passages “Business in a Bottle”, by Cynthia Barnett and “Selling Bottled Water: The Modern Medicine Show”, by Peter Gleick, portray how bottled water has taken a superficial and deceptive image due to false advertising and pseudoscientific claims by greedy bottling companies, whose purpose is to take advantage of a free resource in order to make millions in profit; destroying the environment as they go. Both passages expose the bottling companies’ manipulative tricks, in order to bring awareness and open the populations’ eyes to the lies they have been fed for many years, however the authors utilize distinct styles to achieve their goal. Barnett focuses on specific bottling companies’ data and incorporates analysts for support,

    Read More

  • Battling Over Bottled Water Case

    1824 Words  | 4 Pages

    The issue presented in the “Battling over Bottled Water” case emerged when the Nestle bottling company opened an Ice Mountain bottled-water plant in the Mecosta County in the state of Michigan. Because the plant started off by pumping 130 gallons of water per minute it intended to increase the capacity up to 400 gallons of water per minute, this would result in 262 million gallons of water pumped out of the public stream. The controversy further escalated that Nestle had acquired a 410,000 square foot bottling plant with a 99-year lease. In addition, Nestle built a 12-mile pipeline that led to a Sanctuary Spring whose water is harvested, cleaned, bottled and then sold to consumers at exorbitant prices. Water is a commodity that has threatened the lives of many as two thirds of the world’s water is undrinkable. With water being traded for profits by large corporations our environment collapses as pollution increases and life that directly depends on the nature’s lakes is threatened....

    Read More

  • Tap Vs Tap Water

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many argue the fact that commercialized labeled brands of bottled water have offered choices to people that tap water does not. Although most people often rely on these particular brands of bottled water, most are unaware that some companies are simply using unfiltered-tap water at a much higher charge. Bottled water is averagely sold either individually or in packs of 24 or more at your local grocery store ranging from three to five dollars. This is a high cost not just to one’s pocket but to our waste and

    Read More

  • Tapped Documentary Analysis

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    The documentary Tapped uncovers the truths about the bottled water industry giants and the negative effect of water mining and the bottles themselves is causing to people and the environment. Currently the world is made up of 75% of water but only one percent of it is drinkable. This film tries to shed light on the fact that many well-known companies like Nestlé and Pepsi are just stealing tap water and turning around to make a profit. Even the item that is being used to hold water is also having negative affects too. The chemicals like PET and BPA are in the bottles that water comes in and both of these chemicals are known to cause serious health risk to humans. Even with all the truth and evidence that is in this film the FDA still doesn’t want to accept it.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay: The Dangers Of Drinking Bottled Water

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    We spend billions of dollars every year on bottled water. In an article by Charles Fishman, Message In A Bottle he states, "[W]e spent more [money] on Poland Spring, Fiji Water, Evian, Aquafina, and Dasani than we spent on iPods or movie tickets," (Fishman). We spend all this money on bottled water when we can just fill a reusable one up with almost no cost at home or at a water fountain. Maybe because it’s just more convenient or there may have unsafe drinking water. We all have our reasons for why we buy bottled water but not many of us realize how much we are actually spending and the impact it has on the environment because we only focus on the convenience of them.

    Read More

  • The Usage of Water Bottles Should Be Banned

    526 Words  | 2 Pages

    Researchers have stated that plastic bottles containing water can contain many deadly chemicals. After close examination of the plastic, researchers concluded that some plastics contain chemicals, like phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), endocrine disrupters, and cancer, may percolate into the water, especially after being stagnant for long periods of time. Likewise, bottled water is not exposed to the rigorous testing tap water endures. Thus, bottled water is more inclined to be contaminated or a source of infection. Tap water is subjected to daily safety testing, bottled water, however, is only tested monthly at the source; twenty-two percent of the water tested contained contaminant levels that exceeded strict health limits. Safety of the people could be secured through banning water bottles.

    Read More

  • Bottled Water Case Study

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to the “Competition in the Bottled Water Industry in 2006 Case,” bottled water industry became the one of the world’s most attractive beverage categories, as more and more people began to focus on health and fitness. Consumers start realizing the need of proper hydration, and they began purchasing bottled water instead of drinking tap water, because they were worried about safety of tap water, which tasted like chemicals. Actually, tap water contained chemicals, such as chlorine and fluoride, which are harmful for human body; however, this problem was solved when the bottled water was brought to the market. Due to bottled water’s convenience, purity, and portability, and safety, bottled water industry began to rise rapidly. During

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Bottled Water

    1120 Words  | 3 Pages

    The need for bottled water in the beginning was based on health reasons. People bought water because they did not have access to clean, safe drinking water. While it seems simple enough to credit (or blame) bottled water’s recent popularity on clever marketing, the industry also has a foundation in a history of “deeply ingrained, cultural reverence for pure water,” according to Dr. Francis H. Chapelle, a hydrologist with USGS and author of the book Wellsprings: A Natural History Of Bottled Spring Waters. In the mid-1800s people often believed that spring water had many health benefits and some even believed it to serve medicinal purposes as well. Others believed spring water to have mystical and spiritual benefits. Bottled water was also a status symbol. It projected an image of wealth to those who bought it.

    Read More

  • Bottled Water Research Paper

    335 Words  | 1 Pages

    Bottled water cost to much money “irked industry, which is worth $60 billion a year and about $400 million a year in Australia.” It is convenient to buy bottled water but they sucker you into buying their product when they are asking to much money. You could buy a refillable bottle and fill it up at home or anywhere else. This also helps with keeping the environment clean. Going back to it costing to much the bottling company expected to lose $1,200 on bottled water

    Read More

  • Cooked Dinner Essay

    1216 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a direct object, the concept of dinner is routine, habit, sometimes mundane and possesses a feeling of familiarity. Dinner is such an ordinary event however means so much more than the deed of purely eating. It has particular significance by virtue of the fact that in one fashion or another, we all do it, usually daily, while rarely considering the often invisible dynamics that can differentiate it. Additionally, the meal we consume, our food choices, preparation and consumption, is a point of connection to our everyday bound up in cultural markers of gender, ritual and class. This essay will discuss the role of gender in relation to the “cooked dinner” (Murcott, 1982, p. 679) and how the media reinforces our perceptions of gendered roles in relation to food. Secondly, the role of ritual in cultural value, as an ideal and as a reality and thirdly, how our food preference and consumption is a statement of an individual’s class.

    Read More

  • Effects of Plastic Bottles On the Environment

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    Given all the negative effects that come from plastic, why are people still participating in this poisonous cycle? Some claim that bottled water simply tastes better than water from the tap whether they prefer spring, purified, distilled, or mineral water. Most people just appreciate the convenience bottled water offers; it’s easier to carry little bottles that one can throw away instead of larger reusable bottles that need to be brought home at the end of the day. Also, bottled water comes in big “value packs” in most stores, which is beneficial for large group events and big families.

    Read More

  • Water Bottled Water Research Paper

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    The harmful additives that are found in water are obviously bad for the body. Companies claim that the minerals they put in the water are to boost its quality, but in reality they only make it worse. Not only is the water supposed to be safe to drink and free of contaminants, but in a recent German-led study, scientists found that a single bottle of water contained nearly 25,000 chemicals. Companies such as Nestle Pure Life Water contain many incredibly dangerous substances, but one of the worst is fatal chemical: calcium chloride. This chemical is usually found in pools, and unfortunately, it is found Nestle Pure Life Water as well. According to livestrong.com(Author’s name) states, “Ingestion may seriously irritate the moist linings of the body, such as those in the nostrils, mouth and throat, lips, eyelids and ears. Ingestion of larger amounts may induce gastrointestinal upset, vomiting and abdominal pain.” Knowing that this type of chemical isn’t just found in one bottled water company, but many is scary. According to Draxe.com (Author’s Name), “In widespread testing, a whopping 93 percent of bottled water samples tested were contaminated with tiny pieces of plastic. The study found an average of 10 total plastic particles and plastic fibers per liter; that’s twice the plastic level found in tap water. And get this: Some of the most popular brands were contaminated — this is widespread. A small amount of the plastic fragments tested positive for industrial lubricants, but researchers say there is evidence that at least some of the tiny plastic pieces found in the water come from the packaging itself.” It is clear that bottled water is undeniably bad for anyone to

    Read More

  • Reusing Plastic Bottles Can Pose Serious Health Hazards

    1091 Words  | 3 Pages

    Water is the most unique and important resource on our planet and yet it is also the resource most taken for granted. While we live in a world that is over half water, very little of that water is safe for human consumption. While fresh water is spread throughout the world, some countries risk their health by drinking toxic water full of bacteria and hazardous chemicals. In America, our fresh water supplies are treated in order to kill any bacteria or other chemical hazards in the water. However, without realizing it, Americans drink water filled with bacteria all the time. By drinking from reused water bottles, people are consuming more bacteria-filled water.

    Read More

More about Bottled And Paradox

Open Document