Compare and contrast your own food and eating ideas and behaviours with those of ONE other culture.

1927 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The culture of food

Humans have an appetite for food, and anthropology as the study of human culture can discover a lot through the eating ideas and behaviours of various cultures. Throughout the world many different countries and different cultures have different dining etiquette and rules. This is something often taken for granted. From personal experience working on cruise ships, where many different cultures mix in a small environment, what seemed to stand out to me were the differences in dining etiquette. Unfortunately, to the point where some colleges preferred to eat in a separate dining area with members of similar cultures, as what was taken for granted by those with European dining etiquette was completely foreign to others, notably those with an Indian background, this was on occasion to the point of ridicule and scorn. The importance of food in understanding human culture rests in its vast changeability, a changeability that is not central for species survival. For survival needs, people everywhere could eat the same food, yet people of different cultural backgrounds eat differently.
An anthropological approach to the analysis of food in culture would be to isolate and identify the food variables, arrange these variables systematically, and explain why some of these variables go together or do not go together. Generally people who have the same culture share the same food habits, that is, they share the same assemblage of food variables. Most of the major cities in the world contain varied societies, encompassing of a wide range of individuals from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Ethnicity refers to a social group, which shares particular distinctive features, for instance; language, culture, physical appearance, religion, va...

... middle of paper ...

...ure. Retrieved from The electronic journal of CIPA: http://www.cipa.ulg.ac.be/intervalles2/rampaul.pdf
Saarc. (2009). Food of India. Retrieved from Saarc Tourism India: http://india.saarctourism.org/food-of-india.html
Siegel, B. (2010). Learning to Eat in a Capital City. Food, Culture & Society, 71-90.
Swarbrick, N. (2013, July 8). Manners and social behaviour - A guide to modern New Zealand manners. Retrieved from Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/manners-and-social-behaviour/page-7
Trollope-Kumar, K., & Last, J. M. (2002). Cultural Factors. Retrieved from Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health: http://www.answers.com/topic/cultural-factors
Zhang, X. (2013). Talking about Cultural Influence on Table Manners from Intercultural Adaptation - A Case Study of my Canadian Friend's Story. International Journal of Arts and Commerce, 156-162.

Show More
Related

  • Culture In The Guatemalan Culture

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    Knowing our cultures is very important in understanding our environment as well as of others. It also help us understand how people take different aspects of life including diet. This is because culture determines our perception and attitudes toward particular issues about which is helpful and which is not, what makes sense and what does not. Some cultures prefer quantity meals to quality food which can lead to obesity or even some cardiovascular diseases to people of that culture while others prefer a balanced diet hence a healthy body, in central America, in particular Honduras and Guatemala, they prefer frying their food first. Due to this method of cooking it is possible to have a devastating health effect on the

    Read More

  • Examples Of Sociological Observation

    1810 Words  | 4 Pages

    There were people with faces that showed how that they were clueless on what to eat but when they saw people of the same culture through their dressing, they had the expression of happiness written all over them. It felt like they had found a sense of home just by discovering their culture food and those of the same culture. They immediately got their food and went to sit in the section where their culture was present. Women and Men in official clothing chose to dine at the Chinese and Italian section probably because the stand was of a more decorous setting than the other

    Read More

  • medical anthropology

    1744 Words  | 4 Pages

    1. It is evident that determinants of health and illness cannot be broken down into a single, universal entity, but rather it involves interconnecting mechanisms all contributing to the overall experience of health. These mechanisms stem from one’s culture, for culture serves the purpose in providing people with meaning and a set of beliefs/values to fall back on. One may argue that the definition of well-being is socially constructed whereby normalcy in health is based on one’s culture, what one culture may consider to be a sickness, other culture’s may view this phenomenon in a completely different light. Features such as history, politics, cultural norms, gender, etc. all contribute to a particular cultural identity and thus contribute to the way’s in which health and disease is viewed among said cultures. Through the exploration of these features, one can understand the significant influence culture then has on medical practice and disease.

    Read More

  • The Influence Of Eating On The Body

    1605 Words  | 4 Pages

    The majority of people view food as fuel to conduct our daily task and activities. The focal point food has extends beyond just energy for the body or a necessity for survival. Eating or not eating foods is a personal act in which we symbolically consume our identity. We are what we eat. It communicates to others our beliefs, culture, social background and experience; it shapes our outer appearance and our health. Eating food can swiftly change our moods, enhance academic performances and heighten concentration. Food gives people personality, which is a specific identity reflected in our values and relationships. Food resembles our families, religion, province, rituals and ethnicity. Food can either bring people together or set them apart.

    Read More

  • The Americanization of Food

    1403 Words  | 3 Pages

    As previously mentioned, food was traditionally considered as a mere means of subsistence, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries. The early history of food involved its use to define shared identities and reflected religious and group customs. Furthermore, food was filled with psychological, cultural, religious, and emotional significance. During this period, a unique court tradition of cuisine and sophisticated table manners emerged to distinguish the social elite from the ordinary people. However, during the 19th century, the history of food slightly changed as it became a defining symbol of national identity. This period was characterized by the association of several dishes to particular countries and cultures (Mintz, par 1). For instance, American hamburger and tomato-based Italian spaghetti are cultural foods that were in...

    Read More

  • Influence Of Ethnicity On Food Choices

    446 Words  | 1 Pages

    The world is full with different ethnic groups. Each ethnic group has its own traditions, beliefs and food habits. These have been passed on from generation to generation. Food choices are mainly influenced by your ethnicity. People develop eating habits that are similar to those of their parents because they have been raised around them. The food choices that people make daily are usually ones that they are familiar with. A person’s social and cultural beliefs are also influenced by their ethnicity. Everyone has different food choices because they have been raised in a certain manner with different habits and traditions, therefore your food choice will always depend on the society or ethnic group that you grew up on.

    Read More

  • Business Culture in Japan

    1529 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Japan, the culture in authenticity is very polite. For business communications, Japanese utilize good manners, whereas informal manners are used for socialization. Manners and being polite is a key facet of Japanese business culture so as to stay clients, or potential clients, ecstatic. Japanese conferences start with a religious procedure, meishi kokna, which engage in making an exchange of business cards. This is usually a method of showing the consequentiality of the even...

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Food Patterns

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    People in Western societies may refer to food-related etiquette as table manners, a phrase that illustrates the cultural expectation of eating food or meals at a table. Some people eat with forks and spoons; more people use fingers or chopsticks. However, utensil choice is much more complicated than choosing chopsticks, fingers, or flatware. Among some groups who primarily eat food with their fingers, diners use only the right hand to eat. Some people use only three fingers of the right hand. Among other groups, use of both hands is acceptable. In some countries, licking the fingers is polite; in others, licking the fingers is considered impolite (and done only when a person thinks no one else is watching). Rules regarding polite eating may increase in formal settings. At some formal dinners, a person might be expected to choose the "right" fork from among two or three choices to match the food being eaten at a certain point in the

    Read More

  • Comparing Thailand and Japan

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    Different countries have different cultures, values, and ideologies. In every society, manners and etiquette are essential. These beliefs have been derived and practiced from the old generation to the modern generation. Manners also shape societies and rule people. In some countries, Thailand and Japan, have a significant numbers of foreigners for varied purposes such as travelling, working, and studying. However, living in the different circumstances is not simple. People may experience some troubles, which can make them confused and embarrassed. Learning to adapt ourselves by learning through their behaviors may encourage people to understand them better. This essay will compare the difference of manners and etiquettes between Thailand and Japan in three significant points.

    Read More

  • Discuss Attitudes Of Food And Or Eating Behaviour?

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    Everyone has varying opinions and behaviour towards the food, due to this it suggests that people’s attitude and behaviours to food must be affected by social factors. Otherwise they everyone would have similar attitudes to food if it was biologically determined.

    Read More

  • Food: The Universal Language

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    As defined by Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, food is “material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy.” However, can food not provide something more than simply nourishment? For ages, scientists all over have been noticing patterns in the ways various cultures think of food and make it parts of their everyday lives. These patterns teach us more about these cultures, as well as the many ways that food affects them. Food influences many parts of these cultures, such as religion, relationships, gender, and finally communication. Communication is a vital part of one’s everyday life and Anthropologist E.N. Anderson describes food as “second only to language as a social communication system” (Anderson 124). Thai director Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman and Latin American director María Ripoll’s Tortilla Soup, a Latino re-make of Lee’s film, reveal the similarities of two seemingly different cultures and their use of food as a means of communication.

    Read More

  • Impact Of Popular Culture On Fast Food

    1457 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is first important to establish what is meant by culture. Culture is constantly changing and it is not something static that is inherited from parents in the same way that hair or eye colour is and Watson points out the growth of ‘third cultures’, heavily linked with popular culture, where things are no longer associated with a particular country but stretch beyond their place of origin . These cultures along with the traditional Asian cultures influence the consumption of fast food.

    Read More

  • Essay On Food And Food

    1135 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are families that have home cooked meals when times premise it. In some cultures, home cooked meals are a must no matter what is going on they all meet at the table at a certain time. With the foods that are put on the table tradition takes font and certain it is the Identity of our culture. Soul food is the tradition in African American families, Mexican foods are the tradition in a Latino family, and Chinese foods are the tradition in a Chinese families etc. Because there are so many fast foods place, food trucks, and restaurants are available to get something fast and quite. Now, there are more healthy places to eat like the salad bar, vegan eateries, and juice bars. More and more families are choosing to become vegetarians or vegans to fix their life style, but public health institutions often find themselves at odds with vegan parents over the lack of milk and dairy products in their young child’s

    Read More

  • CUSTOMS IN TWO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    In my point of view, though there are some differences between the customs in two countries, Vietnam and New Zealand still have similarities in regards to the greeting protocol and dinning etiquette. Customs in Vietnam seems to have more various than New Zealand’s because there are more protocol to follow and get to know with. In conclusion, looking at the customs is the best way to distinguish two different countries in the world and it is also a chance for us to understand other’s culture.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Dining Etiquette

    1531 Words  | 4 Pages

    INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT A CLOSER LOOK During the Middle Ages, dining etiquette was less subtle, making it much more digestible. Etiquette books from those times offered some rather direct guidelines, such as: “Refrain from falling upon the dish like a swine while eating, snorting disgustingly and smacking the lips,” or, “a number of people gnaw a bone and then put it back in the dish — this is a serious offense.” Those rules seem clear enough to follow. However, professional dining in today’s world is much more intricate. Dining is not just about enjoyment of eating delicious food. It is also about conversation, pleasant

    Read More

More about Compare and contrast your own food and eating ideas and behaviours with those of ONE other culture.

Open Document