Food Cultures and Consumption - Research Paper Example

? Food Cultures and Consumption of Table of Contents Symbolic association between food and culture 3 New horizons in marketing opportunities 4 Conclusion 5 References 7 Introduction Food is one of the basic necessities for human beings. However, in modern times, food has reached the status of luxury commodities for man belonging to different classes. The world ha people belonging to a wide variety of vultures and people of e very cultural origin has some specific food habits. In the e ra of globalization, although he cultural and socio economic aspects are integrating across the countries, every community still holds on to their food culture (Goodman, 2009). This food culture is considered a part of the social identity of these people and is a part of their tradition and heritage. Hence, it is important to study the food culture and consumption habits of people while making studies on the human consumption behavior. Symbolic association between food and culture There is a symbolic association between different preparations of food and the consumption habits of people in different cultural background. One more aspect of food is defined by beverages. Beverages form an important part of food in every culture. In many communities, such as in European countries, China and Japan, consumption of wine resembles their cultural heritage of brewing high quality of wine. Wine consumption is itself identified as a separate field of study and scores of researchers have conducted specific research works on wine consumption habits of people. Research works in psychology, sociology as well as anthropology has evidences of mention of wine consumption habits of the population. It is deeply instilled within the cultural connotation of the community (Goodman, 2009). Research shows that in almost all communities around the world, traditional meetings, festivals and cultural gatherings reflect the presence of food as a part of festivity or occasion. Food is a key factor in social interactions and acts as an important mechanism for determining relationships among community members (Rijswijk & Frewer, 2008). Often varied communication channels are discovered among nonmembers during discussion over food during snacks breaks, lunch or dinner. However, according to some researchers claim that the food habits of people, although closely associated with their traditional background, are highly affected by the changing nature of the countries under effect of globalization. Irrespective of the current food consumption pattern of the people, it is claimed by researchers that food habit of the population is representative of the population group and changing food habits are symbolic of the evolving cultures of these communities. New horizons in marketing opportunities In this era of globalization, the effect of the culture and practices of the western society has spread to almost all the countries. In developing countries of Asia and Africa, westernization has affected the growth pattern of these countries. This shows that the growth process embraces the practices of the western countries of the USA and the countries of the European continent. This implicates that there is a strong relation between the growth of a society and their food habits. Companies all around the globe are utilizing this opportunity to expand their services, add new products to their portfolios and capture new markets within the country as well as internationally. In social functions or business meetings, people often discuss and sort out business issues or even establish new contracts. In this scenario, food habits play a major role in developing and augmenting contacts. Marketers can enhance the business activities of their companies by intervening into the food consumption pattern of people. Two distinct cultures are visible in this context, association of food and wine and between food and beer. Research works show that the food and beer are not as popular among different communities as food and wine. There is a perceived link between enjoying the act of consuming food and drinking wine. Several research works have been made on the type of wine that the mass prefers to drink with a particular type of food. While wine is thought of as a complement to meals, the role of consuming beer with foods is not well researched. Wine is considered as a symbol of heritage among the Europeans and is consumed with grace. Almost all occasions in these countries are supplemented by good traditional food and quality wine. Italians are globally famous for brewing the best quality of wine. Wine produced in Italy is imported by most countries in the world. The wine market is globally dominated by the Italian wine making companies. Marketing plays an important role in this sector (Pettigrew & Charters, 2006). Another important aspect of food industry in different countries is the tourism industry. In some countries, such as India, there is no established tradition of drinking wine or any form of alcohol as a part of tradition or culture. Contrastingly, these beverages are considered to be social taboos and are not consumed in traditional social occasions. However, India is an emerging economy and is increasing in importance at the international level due its expanding tourism industry. Tourists from different parts of the world visit the country. Hence, the traditional practices of these foreigners also become a part of the tourism industry. Their cultures mingle with the cultural values of the host country and leads to the evolution of the cultural beliefs of the host population. This brings changes in the food consumption pattern of the people of the host country. Conclusion Existing marketing literature sheds light on the consumption pattern of people in different parts of the world. Consumption pattern relating to food and beverages is considered to demonstrate distinctive relationship with various demographic variables of the target population, such as, social class, age and gender. This indicates the extent to which the consumption pattern of the community members is influenced by social and cultural factors (Mak, 2012). This is the cause behind increasing interest of researchers in the study of the nature of relationship between food, wine and social practices. Depending upon the role of each type of food habit in different countries, companies plan the marketing strategies. Hence, food consumption practices are also important for market researchers. The outcome of this research paper would provide detailed account of the relationship between the food consumption habits of the people around the globe and its effect of organizations operating in the global food industry. References Goodman, S. (2009). An international comparison of retail consumer wine choice. International Journal of Wine Business Research, 21 (1), 41 – 49. Mak, W. K. M. (2012). Can localized food systems be a silver bullet for some globalised humanitarian problems? Asian Education and Development Studies, 1 (2), 181 – 201. Pettigrew, S. & Charters, S. (2006). Consumers' expectations of food and alcohol pairing. British Food Journal, 108 (3), 169 – 180. Rijswijk, W. & Frewer, L. J. (2008). Consumer perceptions of food quality and safety and their relation to traceability. British Food Journal, 110 (10), 1034 – 1046. Read More