Importance Of Food And Foodways

846 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The connection between food and cultural identity

1: Why is the study of food and foodways important to anthropology? Find as many reasons in the text as you can but at least 3. The study of food is important because food is the essential way we connect to others by being social in gathering, church events, dinners. It all comes down to food because food is what society is made out of. Without food we as humans would not exist. (Paragraph 1 Amy) Food is a prism that absorbs and reflects what culture you come from. Food is connected to our behavior and is very meaningful to us. “Foodways is the behaviors and beliefs surrounding the production, distribution, and consumption of food”(Paragraph 2) In other words, foodways reveals our sex and gender. For example, I come from an Israeli background …show more content…

The study of food is important to women because studies show that women very often suffer hunger and famine more severely than men because of their socioeconomic and political subordination in many countries of the world. To be advertised in a magazine for modeling you need to be thin and weigh a certain amount. This means that thinness connotes power, control, wealth and competence and success all are factors in becoming a model. The standards are more strict for women than man which bring it down to women feeling worthless about eating. Studies show that women tend to associate “light” foods like salad, chicken, or yogurt, and “heavy” foods like beef, beer, and potatoes with men. In today's society, many women feel ashamed to eat in front of men because they do not want to be criticized by eating too much and being called …show more content…

What do you think? How does it compare to the reality of eating salad? The Atlantic article symbolizes salad by saying that women should deprive from unhealthy food and only eat salad and dainty foods. Salad is a dieting food that people eat to lose weight. I like how the article brought in an example “ Jerry could have had a meal, but instead he just ordered a salad. “Just” is a word of abstention, and salad the food of abstainers”. I can relate to this because when at a resturant with my family I always find myself saying “I’ll just take a salad”. Now that I’m thinking about it I don’t want the salad but it's the only healthy option on the menu for my diet I am on. As humans, we deprive ourselves from delicious unhealthy foods. The pressure to be thin and to look a certain way steers men and women to lighter foods. Most Americans believe salad is like a side to the main meal. Atlantic article says that salad is starting to stand on its own as a meal, it has not yet shed its

Show More
Related

  • Eating The Landscape Summary

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Eating is not only a political act but also a cultural act that reaffirms one's identity and worldview." (Salmón, 2012, p. 8). It is the statement from the book Eating the Landscape: American Indian Stories of Food, Identity, and Resilience that reflects the author’s main idea. The book is a cultural and geographical travel through the southwest part of the United States of America and northern Mexico. In his book, the author is focused on demonstrating the world of indigenous food and accentuates some direct connections between this food, the culture of people and understanding of the environment that surrounds them.

    Read More

  • Food As Thought: Resisting The Moralization Of Eating By Mary Maxfield

    795 Words  | 2 Pages

    Food as we know is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. Food therefore is very important for our body maintenance and all the growth processes. The importance of food and eating cannot be overemphasized but the question remains; can we eat anything and everything

    Read More

  • Escape From The Diet And Michael Pollan's Escape From The Western Diet

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    For some time, scholars and writers have continuously debated as to what constitutes or defines the idea of healthy eating, mainly because of the increase in the number of people diagnosed with ailments associated with bad eating habits. It has quickly become the forefront of issue, particularly in the United States. In recognition of this on-going debate, this composition seeks to compare and contrast two well-known authors concerning how we think about and consume food. In Michael Pollan’s discussion, “Escape from the Western Diet,” he discusses the negative sides of nutrition science, including conflicting theories surrounding the elements of healthy food consumption and why solutions are essential for the Western diet and lifestyle. “Escape from the Western Diet,’’ is among the articles that talks about the eating habits of individuals in the society. In the article, Pollan points out not only the numerous conflicts concerning what types of diets – including carbohydrate-based, the inclusion of omega-3s, other nutrition-specific needs - that are believed to directly affect general health or specific illnesses, but also how western nutritionism compares to other countries diets affect longevity outcomes. In the end, Pollan suggests that the United States must seek solutions that move towards more natural, unprocessed, plant-based lifestyles that ensure that individuals are making what they consume a primary

    Read More

  • Mexican Food Identity

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    With every experience that we have with food, a memory is created. Our experiences with food begin when we are infants. The memories can be traumatic or they can be pleasant, but they will affect the way we think, act, and shape our ideas about food in the future. Just like our language, the clothes we wear on a daily basis, our individual customs, and the values and beliefs that we have, food is important in constructing our overall identity too. If the way a person speaks, dresses, and thinks can reveal a lot about who they are as individuals, then doesn't food also define us? Everything that revolves around our food from what we choose to eat and how our food is obtained and prepared to when and how we eat tells us so much about

    Read More

  • Panera Bread Salads Analysis

    1591 Words  | 4 Pages

    Eating a salad should be no different; the salad should bring you joy, and not just be a boring salad. Panera Bread proves that eating a salad can cause joy through showing the joy their customers feel when eating a Panera Bread salad. Showing the customers enjoyment of Panera Bread salads allows them to persuade an audience that their salads are flavorful, even the most flavorful on the market. Every face in the commercial, that is associated with a Panera Bread salad, has a smile. Seeing the customer that happily scraps the bits of dressing out with bread proves that one would be excited to not just eat, but enjoy, every component of a Panera Bread salad. This allows for their audience to want to purchase their salad because they believe that they will enjoy the salad just as much as the face on the

    Read More

  • Importance Of Food In Religion

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    Food plays a very important role in every religion and culture. Good nutrition is a great symbol of healthy food/diet. In order to keep ourselves healthy, it is very important to watch what we are eating. Food habits come from parents, which later on developed according to the environment. Food is one of the ways where humans describe themselves as cultured. Food is the most significant segment of our lives. Different types of food explain verities of the belief that we have in all over the world. Ones’ food discipline and choice, tells about which culture/religion they belong to. Food, Religion,

    Read More

  • Medieval Food Essay

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    Food is something that all people have always and will always need to consume in order

    Read More

  • How Food is Viewed in the American Culture

    1824 Words  | 4 Pages

    Most people wouldn’t deny that food is vital to everyday life, but perhaps it has more importance than just simply nourishing our bodies. According to Carole M. Counihan, a doctor of anthropology, food is so important that society has constructed rules regarding its consumption. Counihan emphasizes in her 1992 Anthropology Quarterly article, “Food Rules in the United States: Individualism, Control and Hierarchy,” that these rules serve as the “means through which human beings construct reality” (Counihan, 1992, p. 55). Counihan advocates for the importance of studying food rules by explaining that knowledge about how food is viewed in our culture can do three things: improve understanding of other culture’s food rules, allow nutrition education programs to mesh with these rules, and reveal an aspect of society that helps maintain our current stratification system, which has not been thoroughly examined yet (Counihan, 1992). Through her study of food journals kept by American college students, Counihan argues that their adherence to food rules suggests that students strongly believe in self-control and individualism. Consequently, these beliefs reinforce our current social hierarchies, specifically classism, racism, and sexism. Counihan’s argument that our rules about food allow for the perpetuation of sexism is a compelling one that I very much agree with. I have personally seen my best friend plan her entire diet and exercise regimen based on what her boyfriend thinks. Although this article was written in 1992, I believe the message it conveys will still be applicable in years to come.

    Read More

  • The Need for Diversity in the Fashion Industry

    1415 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fashion models don’t need to be thin, they need to be diverse and healthy at whatever weight that is. Not everyone is supposed to be thin, some women are big boned and curvy, others are naturally slim and small boned, some are tall, others are short, some are light skinned and others are darker. So many diverse looks exist in the world today and the fashion industry need to change their perception of perfect. Body image in our society is out of control. We have young men and women comparing themselves to unrealistic models and images in the media and feeling bad about the way their own bodies look because they somehow don’t measure up. (Dunham, 2011) The struggle for models to be thin has led to models becoming anorexic or bulimic, untimely deaths, and inferiority complexes. Even worse is the fact that they influence a whole generation of young women who look up to these models and think “thin” is how they are supposed to be. They influence what we buy, how we eat and what we wear. Why has this specific group captured our attention so much? Why do we seem to be so fascinated in their lives, to the point where we try to look and act just like them? The media is largely to be blamed for this, many people believe the media has forced the notion that everything supermodels do is ideal. Others believe that the society is to be blamed because we have created a fascination with their lives. There are many opinions, and I agree with both of these specific opinions. We allow ourselves to be captivated by these people's lives, and the media portrayal of their lives seem to also enthrall us. (Customessaymeister, 2013) Despite the severe risks of forcing models to become too thin, designers, fashion editors, fashion brands and agencies still ...

    Read More

  • Pollan Food Ethics

    1316 Words  | 3 Pages

    In any countries meals, include much more than food, they mean families are able to get together, friends are able to laugh, and overall emotions and experiences are shared over food. With the growth of fast food culture and diet culture in America, the emotions and experiences are taken out of eating and simply replaced with a mechanized action, chewing and digestion. The reveals how culture have moved away from a more family and people orientated culture to a more self and competition oriented one. Everyone is out for themselves, they are not looking to share a meal with their competition, but instead waiting the get on the next diet fad in order to beat them out of the game. Pollan reiterates these ideas in his book by mentioning the interchanging of culture that comes with food, and by stripping food of this culture we are essentially stripping ourselves from our community and our ancestors that were raised by the same food.

    Read More

  • The Impact of Mandatory Nutrition Education on Health.

    1147 Words  | 3 Pages

    As living organisms, food is one of the resources that is essential to live and for the body to function normally. I believe every country around the world is faced with a nutritional issue due to economic, foods and environment because I have experience with health and nutrition issue in both developing and developed societies. During this semester, I plan to do research on the advantage and disadvantage of MNE (Mandatory Nutrition Education) and how disease related to obesity effect children and adult’s lives as well as concerning about mine, my families and society’s health and want to live a long life in this wonderful world. I interested in this topic because

    Read More

  • Self Assessment: Self-Assessment On Food Choices

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    How important is food in my life? Very important, as much as you can say I am obsessed with it. My earliest childhood memories are centered with the discovery of textures, flavors, smells, and wonderful colors. As a child, I remember in kindergarten Dr. Seuss day. My teacher served me green eggs and ham. Ever since then my world changed, I watched food network every day and bugged my mother in the kitchen. Food has played an important role in my life; there are many positives but also many negatives.

    Read More

  • The Sociology Analysis of Food and Food Ways

    1827 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sociology is the study of society and people. Food and food ways are often elements associated with particular societies and therefore, studying such a topic can offer valuable insight into the ways of that society and the people who live in it. Although eating is a vital part of survival, with whom, how and where we eat are not. Studying such ways can illustrate and represent the identity of a person or group. The nature of people and their beliefs can be indicated when analysing their food habits. Who individuals eat with is a particularly revealing factor into gaining an understanding of their identity, culture and society (Scholliers P 2001). For this reason commensality is a term frequently used in sociological research concerning food and food ways.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Food Nutrition

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    The food stamps program helps low income families survive by providing them with subsidized income for food. Soda has no nutritional value therefor instead of helping individuals by giving nutrition it will contribute to health problems like obesity and diabetes. The United States already has a major obesity epidemic with the lower income at a greater risk of being affected. One reason for this is that healthy food is more expensive than less healthy food. The government should step up and fund programs that promote good quality nutrients to bring down the price and help the nation get in to shape.

    Read More

  • Food and Nutrition

    1454 Words  | 3 Pages

    Proper nutrition is one of the most essential elements to being healthy and living a long life. People deal with food every day, and food has been a part of life since the beginning of civilization. What we eat becomes our diet, and our diet plays a major role in deciding how healthy we are and how well our body functions. Without proper diet, our body cannot carry out the functions it needs to perform. Most people have some common knowledge on what is good and what is bad for the human body to consume. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are some common items people think of when they think of healthy foods. However, it is not enough just to know what foods are good for your body, it is also important to understand why certain foods are good for you and what they do to help the body function.

    Read More

More about Importance Of Food And Foodways

Open Document