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Opening Question

Opening Question. Aside from discovering the New World, what was Christopher Columbus’ greatest accomplishment?. BBC Documentary, “ What We Eat ” or How New World foods transformed society, roles, status, and social organizations. http://www.burttravels.com/whatweeat.htm. 1. Chocolate

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Opening Question

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  1. Opening Question Aside from discovering the New World, what was Christopher Columbus’ greatest accomplishment? BBC Documentary, “What We Eat” or How New World foods transformed society, roles, status, and social organizations http://www.burttravels.com/whatweeat.htm 1. Chocolate 2. Sugar 3. Chili Peppers 4. Livestock in America 5. Tomato 6. Potato 7. Corn 8. Cheese 9. Coffee 10. African Foods in America 11. Mediterranean Foods in America 12. Wine in America 13. Overview of the Passions Ignited by Columbus

  2. Food, Culture, & Identity Rural Sociology 7310 University of Missouri – Columbia November 27, 2007

  3. Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.(Brillat-Savarin, 1825) • Sociological Concepts • Sociology of Food Domains • Food Systems (Macro) • Public Health & Institutions (Meso) • Identity Formation (Micro) • Concluding Thoughts

  4. Key Sociological Concepts • Sociology • "socius" or companionship • "logos" or "the study of” • Study of groups – social organizations • Scale • Macro – Society (group of groups) • Meso – Organizations/Social Institutions • Micro – Individuals

  5. Key Sociological Concepts • Society • Individualistic • Collective • Social Institutions • Economics • Political • Kinship • Education • Cultural: Religion, Science, & Arts • Self Mediate Relationships between Society and Individual(s)

  6. Roles SharedUnderstanding “Verstehen" WhatisCulture? Economics

  7. Key Sociological Terms • Norms • Rituals • Roles • Status • Tradition • Values • Artifacts • Attitudes • Beliefs • Deviance • Ideology • Markers

  8. Food: National to Cultural to Personal Identity “All distinct cultural, ethnic, and [nations] define themselves, and tend to denigrate others, by asserting the superiority of the foods that represent their social and moral values. What 'we' eat is good and what 'they' eat is bad. ... meanings associated with specific foods, the ways of preparing and eating them also involve cultural, ethnic, and social class prejudices. At the individual level, eating habits can be quite revealing of personality [identity].

  9. Functions of Food?

  10. Functions of Food • Traditional versus Biomedical Beliefs • (Harmony of body, mind, & spirit) vs (Nutrients) • Return to traditional foodways: • Spiritual – rituals, traditions, religion • SLOW FOOD movement http://www.slowfood.com • Cultural Influence of Food on Identity

  11. “While culture cannot specify the actual working details of the self, it does provide a broad outline for the possibilities"

  12. Food Systems – “Big Mirrors” • Acculturation (spices … pizza … McDonalds) • Denaturalization (preparation &cooking) • Ideology – defining boundaries and norms of food behavior • Hedonism Id (appetites) • Nutritionism Ego (socialization) • Spiritualism Superego (social control)

  13. Social Self:Looking Glass Self of Food “Is your little leaguer so fat his blood type is Cheetos? ...[likelihood] one and three kids will be obese. We only have each other to blame. It's you, Mr. Dad, pumping your bike madly while you let your triple-chinned five-year old lies in the back of his little vinyl bike caboose ” (Sports Illustrated. 2003. "The Fat of the Land." 09/22/:11)

  14. Public Health Social Institutions • Political & Healthcare Social Institution • Biomedicalization of food • Nutritionism Ideology • The focus is on subsistence of the physical body • No consideration for mental well-being or spirit • What is healthy? Healthy Body= ƒ(weight =(CaloriesIN <= CaloriesOUT))

  15. Social Institutions – What is healthy?

  16. What if it is All a Big Fat Lie? Ideal Self = Healthy Body= ƒ(weight ))

  17. Conflict of Ideologies: “Good Mother” “I can rub & scrub this old house til it's shinin like a dime Feed the baby, grease the car, & powder my face at the same time Get all dressed up, go out and swing til 4 a.m. and then Lay down at 5, jump up at 6, and start all over again 'Cause I'm a woman! W-O-M-A-N, I'll say it again “ (Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller) Peggy Lee - 1963 • Values • Vegans • Vanity

  18. Self, Social, & Ideal Healthy Body Narrative & Identity (Feminism and Food)

  19. Self, Social, & Ideal Full Circle GlobalMarketingBottled Water based on Identity

  20. Food, Culture, & Identity • Sociological levels of analysis – • Macro (Food Systems) • Meso (Social Institutions, Culture, Health, Politics) • Micro (Identity) • We considered ideology of food • Hedonism (Vanity, Self Image) • Nutritionism (anti voluptuousness) • Spiritualism (Vegans) • Political and ideological food conflicts • Breastfeeding • Metabolic Endocrinology vs long-held Biomedical Beliefs • Vegan Spiritualism and Human Development • Healthy Food Narrative with origins in feminism • Ecological damage of the food-identity connection

  21. Food, Culture, & Identity Recommended Readings

  22. Questions & Comments http://web.missouri.edu/~ryh352/ruSoc7310/

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