Social Identification and Identity - Literature review Example

Ethnographic project Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Ethnographic project-Novel dietary regime impacts dieters’ social identification and identity Introduction It is an apparent fact that there has been extensive interest in the realm of anthropology in regard to the issue of human diet. This fact is evidenced by Mintz and Bois (2002, p. 99) who determined that food and eating is endowed with a wide history in the field of anthropology, which can be perceived to have instigated in the 19th C with William Robertson Smith and Garrick Malley. Thus, anthropologists have in the past been interested in diet, most notably in the sociocultural determinants of food in terms of the medical and nutritional impacts of certain patterns of consumption. This latter interest includes the food patterns as well as the dynamics in the food production and market patterns. In addition, they have also been interested in the understanding of the socio-economic perspective of food aid, famine and hunger (Ing, 2011, p. 86). This anthropological interest in diet underpins the focus of this study which is aimed at investigating the novel dietary regime impacts dieters’ social identification and identity. Towards this end, this study will investigate seven individuals who have been following weight watcher program for a span of one week. In addition, the methodology that was used in this study in analyzing how my partner among other participants in this study experienced the dietary regime will be briefly explored. Nonetheless, it is imperative to first explore some background literature which is related to dietary regime aimed at giving an insight of this issue in the wider field of anthropology. Novel dietary regime impacts dieters’ social identification and identity; brief overview It is also imperative to note that the study of anthropology is no longer under the limitation of studying about ‘others’ who are considered alien in the cultural world. This is best exemplified by the emergence of native anthropologists in China (Harrell, 2001, p. 155). In anthropology, social identity and identification can be perceived as that segment of the self-concept of an individual which stems from his/her knowledge of membership in a certain group. This is coupled with emotional significance as well as the values which are attached to this membership (Castano et. al., 2008, p. 259). Therefore, despite the fact that some people might be inclined towards perceiving their behaviors and attitudes, for instance, eating patterns as being distinctive, the fact is that much of what they think and do is molded by their inherent connection to social groups. This varies from the family or the small working groupings to the massively enormous and abstract groups like religious or ethnic communities (Castano et. al., 2008, p. 260). Valentine (1999, p. 491) determined that food is possibly one of the most ordinary part of our daily lives. However, the ways in which we conceptualize our undertakings in cooking, shopping as well as eating is to a wide extent automatic. This has seen different individuals and collectives undertaking extensive novel dietary regimes which serve the purpose of solidifying their identity as well as social identification. Thus, the novel dietary regimes which are followed by individuals and collectives are shaped by the social groups where they belong. In turn, this tends to mold their identity as well as social identification. The above example is best exemplified in the United States whereby people from different ethnic backgrounds have distinct feeding patterns. These tend to influence the social identification as well as the identity of individuals from these social groupings. For instance, the people from the Chinese origin have the cuisine which has for long been a source of identity for the Chinese people. On the other hand, tefillin and mezzuzot have been at the cornerstone of the Jewish culture and a tool of identity and social identification of the Jewish people. Nonetheless, the Chinese cuisine has evolved into becoming a comfort food for the Jews living in America (Miller, 2006, p. 430). Thus, Lu and Fine (1995, p. 536) determined that the Chinese ethnic restaurants have evolved into becoming favorable locations for observing public ethnicity as well as the cooking adaptation dynamism in the modern American life. In the rural Australian context, a study by Lupton (2000, p. 94) revealed that the participants in this study extensively portrayed conservatism in terms of their food preferences. As a result, they exhibited their non-desire for exotic foods as well as the lack of epicure sensibility which is a characteristic of the populations inhabiting the metropolitan areas. Thus, this reality in Australia exhibits the deep difference in terms of identity and social identification in the urban areas. Most of the rural people are deemed to use their feeding patterns as a strong source of identity and social identifications. This is not extremely evident with their counterparts in the metropolitan areas. This has resulted to the proposition by Appadurai (1990, p. 295) that the principle problem in the modern interactions at the global level is the immense tension between cultural homogenization and cultural heterogenization. The prior is mostly evident in the rural areas while the latter is mostly associated with the people in the metropolitan areas. In Africa, Messer (1984, p. 219) cited that porridge is a widely consumed meal by different communities. In regions where porridge is a staple food, it ranges from thick to thin. In this case, different ethnic groups tend to distinguish themselves from others based on the preferred texture of their staple food. Thus, this serves as a primary source of identity and social identification among the individuals from certain ethnic groups, distinguishing themselves from others. Lastly, dietary regimes which have been used as a basis of cultural festivals in different parts of the world have been key in attracting visitors from other regions. This is best epitomized by the Stockton Asparagus Festival which has experienced increased popularity in the recent past. In a community which had in the past been confronted by the challenge of limited sense of identity, this festival which is characterized by a unique dietary regime has been central in cultivating a sense of identity and social identification among members of this society (Lewis, 1997, p, 73). All the above fortifies the fact that novel dietary regimes in different societies play an integral role in identity as well as social identification among individuals in different social groupings around the globe. Thus, what individuals eat become a robust symbol of who they are, their preferences, tastes as well as desired outcome of their feeding patterns and tends to set these individuals apart from others. This is most profound in the presence of foreigners, for instance, when an individual goes abroad or when foreigners visit the home shores of a particular community. In this case, the more insecure group tends to cling to its home food habits as an effort to preserve their identity as well as social identification amid these intrusions from the outside groups. The above reality culminates in social identity complexity which according to Roccas and Brewer (2002, p. 102) is founded on the chronic consciousness of cross-categorization in one’s own membership in a social group and those of the other people. This has immense impacts on the dietary regimes which emanate from the processes of socialization. This goes a long way on impacting on the identity and social identification of the dieters in these particular social groups, both in the short and in the long-term. Methodology A robust methodology was used in this study in analyzing how my partner among other participants in this study experienced the novel dietary regime. The primary respondent was my partner whose dietary experiences form the major findings of this study. In this case, two major methodologies were used, namely, observation and interview. The observations of the daily dietary patterns of this partner provided a robust idea of how her dietary regime impacted on her identity as well as social identification. The importance of this method of observation is fortified by Wells and Sciuto (2007, p. 227) who determined that the chief merit of this method is that when it is well undertaken, it has the capacity of producing an extremely detailed, and almost complete record of what is actually done by different individuals. Thus, in accompanying my partner to buy food and ingredients for doing her weightwatcher program was an integral point of undertaking some imperative observations. On the other hand, interview schedules were administered to her after she completed her weightwatcher program. This is based on the important role of the interview where the respondents tell her stories and experiences regarding a certain issue (Knapik, 2006, p. 2). Interviews schedule were also administered to the other six participants in this study who revealed their experiences regarding the impact of their novel dietary regime on their sense of identity and social identification. Findings and discussion It is important to note that my partner named Charis is from the Chinese origin, and had set her points at 30, in terms of losing weight. Observation of her dietary regime as well as information gained from the interview after her weightwatcher program revealed some interesting facts. Firstly, while observing the novel dietary regime of my partner, I came to the realization that some feeding patterns are so embedded in our daily life that it sometimes seems illogical to leave out certain types of foods in our meals. This was mostly evident while observing her shopping for the various ingredients to prepare her food during the week when she was under the weightwatcher programs. Despite some types of ingredients containing high level of calories and are central to gaining weight, she proceeded to purchase them despite her desire to lose weight. This can be explained by the fact that these components are considered to be integral in her society. Secondly, an interview after the weightwatcher program with my partner being the respondent revealed her belief that a weight watcher is a good tool for trying to lose weight despite the fact that she had never used it before. She revealed that all through the program, she made extensive efforts not to get over the points that she had set. Nonetheless, the types of foods which are central to her social identification and identity always saw her get above the set points every time. She expressed her frustrations that she could not resist certain types of foods which were primary to her socio-cultural background. The above fact is supported by Noughani and Bagheri (2010, p. 537) who determined that there is an elevated relationship between the socio-cultural factors and nutrition which impacts on the health of a particular group of people. In this above case, the socio-cultural factors related to feeding patterns can be perceived as a major cause of failure to hit weight loss target. On the other hand, an interview with two friends, Olivia and Quin, both Chinese revealed the choice of eating places is a major concern which contributed to their inability to meet their targets in their weightwatcher program. This is founded on the fact that their favorite restaurants where they frequently visited based on financial and age consideration reasons sold a wide variety of Chinese foods which they could not resist. This fortifies the assertion by Amiraian and Sobal (2009, p. 226) who determined that in most cases, people tend to use cognitive scripts in their decision making process on where to eat. Olivia cited that ‘I will not stop eating the food that I usually ate. I don’t care how much points it is. I just care what I want to eat. No matter how high of the point, I will not give up’ The above sentiment was echoed by her friend who also exhibited her reluctance to abandon her best food which also gave her a sense of identity and social recognition. This trend is also attributed to the prominence of fast food outlets in many institutions of higher learning which contribute to unhealthy eating habits among the young people in learning institutions (Ganasegeran et. al., 2012, p. 1). Another participant, Jennifer from the UK had a different perception from the above two. She cited the health dangers which are associated with the feeding patterns from her socio-cultural background were instrumental in achieving her weight loss targets during the weightwatcher program. The above fact is also revealed by Stevenson et. al (2007, p. 418) who cited that recent decades have seen an increase of the diets which are marked by eating foods with high fats, sugars and salts. All of these are linked with sodium hypertension as well as cardio-vascular diseases. Thus, novel dietary regimes can be seen to have extensive impacts on the identity and social identification of different individuals and collectives from various social groupings around the world. Conclusion The above analysis has evidenced that human diet has gained increased interest in anthropology. Diverse literature has pointed to the fact that feeding patterns among different people have diverse implications on their identity and social identification. This was evident after observation and interviews among participants in the above study. References Amiraian, D. & Sobal, J., 2009., ‘Dating and Eating. How University Students Select Eating Settings’, Appetite, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 226-29. Appadurai, A., 1990., ‘Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy’, Theory, Culture and Society, Vol. 7, pp. 295-310. Castano, E., et. al., 2008, ‘Social identification processes, group dynamics and the behaviour of combatants’, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 90, No. 870, pp. 259-271. Ganasegeran, K., et. al., 2012, ‘Social and psychological factors affecting eating habits among university students in a Malaysian medical school: a cross-sectional study’, Nutrition Journal, Vol. 11, No. 48, pp. 1-7. Harrell, S., 2001, ‘The anthropology of reform and the reform of anthropology: Anthropological narratives of recovery and progress in China’, Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 30, pp. 139-161. Ing, L.C., 2011, ‘A Brief Introduction to Anthropological Perspectives on Diet: Insights into the Study of Overseas Chinese’, Asian Culture and History, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 86-93. Knapik, M., 2006, ‘The Qualitative Research Interview:Participants’ Responsive Participation in Knowledge Making’, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 1-13. Lewis, GH., 1997, ‘Celebrating Asparagus: Community and the Rationally Constructed Food Festival’, Journal of American Culture, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 73-78. Lu, S, & Fine, GA., 1995, ‘The Presentation of Ethnic Authenticity: Chinese Food as a Social Accomplishment’, The Sociological Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 535-583. Lupton, D., 2000., ‘The Heart of the Meal: Food Preferences and Habits among Rural Australian Couples’, Sociology of Health and Illness, Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 94-109. Messer, E., 1984, ‘Anthropological perspectives on diet’, Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol. 13, pp. 205- 249. Miller, H., 2006, ‘Identity Takeout: How American Jews Made Chinese Food Their Ethnic Cuisine’, The Journal of Popular Culture, Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 430-465. Mintz, SW. & Du Bois, CM., 2002, ‘The anthropology of food and eating’, Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol.31, pp. 99-119. Noughani, F., & Bagheri, M., 2010, ‘Effect of Socio - Cultural Factors on Feeding Patterns of the Children’, European Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 537-546. Roccas, S., & Brewer, MB., 2002, ‘Social Identity Complexity’, Personality and Social Psychology Review, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 88–106 Stevenson, C., et. al., 2007, ‘Adolescents’ views of food and eating:Identifying barriers to healthy eating’, Journal of Adolescence, Vol. 30, pp. 417–434 Valentine, G., 1999, ‘Eating In: Home, Consumption and Identity’, The Sociological Review, Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 491-524. Wells, WD., & Sciuto, LA., 2007, ‘Direct Observation of Purchasing Behavior’, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 227-233. Read More

Therefore, despite the fact that some people might be inclined towards perceiving their behaviors and attitudes, for instance, eating patterns as being distinctive, the fact is that much of what they think and do is molded by their inherent connection to social groups. This varies from the family or the small working groupings to the massively enormous and abstract groups like religious or ethnic communities (Castano et. al., 2008, p. 260). Valentine (1999, p. 491) determined that food is possibly one of the most ordinary part of our daily lives.

However, the ways in which we conceptualize our undertakings in cooking, shopping as well as eating is to a wide extent automatic. This has seen different individuals and collectives undertaking extensive novel dietary regimes which serve the purpose of solidifying their identity as well as social identification. Thus, the novel dietary regimes which are followed by individuals and collectives are shaped by the social groups where they belong. In turn, this tends to mold their identity as well as social identification.

The above example is best exemplified in the United States whereby people from different ethnic backgrounds have distinct feeding patterns. These tend to influence the social identification as well as the identity of individuals from these social groupings. For instance, the people from the Chinese origin have the cuisine which has for long been a source of identity for the Chinese people. On the other hand, tefillin and mezzuzot have been at the cornerstone of the Jewish culture and a tool of identity and social identification of the Jewish people.

Nonetheless, the Chinese cuisine has evolved into becoming a comfort food for the Jews living in America (Miller, 2006, p. 430). Thus, Lu and Fine (1995, p. 536) determined that the Chinese ethnic restaurants have evolved into becoming favorable locations for observing public ethnicity as well as the cooking adaptation dynamism in the modern American life. In the rural Australian context, a study by Lupton (2000, p. 94) revealed that the participants in this study extensively portrayed conservatism in terms of their food preferences.

As a result, they exhibited their non-desire for exotic foods as well as the lack of epicure sensibility which is a characteristic of the populations inhabiting the metropolitan areas. Thus, this reality in Australia exhibits the deep difference in terms of identity and social identification in the urban areas. Most of the rural people are deemed to use their feeding patterns as a strong source of identity and social identifications. This is not extremely evident with their counterparts in the metropolitan areas.

This has resulted to the proposition by Appadurai (1990, p. 295) that the principle problem in the modern interactions at the global level is the immense tension between cultural homogenization and cultural heterogenization. The prior is mostly evident in the rural areas while the latter is mostly associated with the people in the metropolitan areas. In Africa, Messer (1984, p. 219) cited that porridge is a widely consumed meal by different communities. In regions where porridge is a staple food, it ranges from thick to thin.

In this case, different ethnic groups tend to distinguish themselves from others based on the preferred texture of their staple food. Thus, this serves as a primary source of identity and social identification among the individuals from certain ethnic groups, distinguishing themselves from others. Lastly, dietary regimes which have been used as a basis of cultural festivals in different parts of the world have been key in attracting visitors from other regions. This is best epitomized by the Stockton Asparagus Festival which has experienced increased popularity in the recent past.

In a community which had in the past been confronted by the challenge of limited sense of identity, this festival which is characterized by a unique dietary regime has been central in cultivating a sense of identity and social identification among members of this society (Lewis, 1997, p, 73).

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