Food: Source Of Cultural And Social Identity - Report Example

Food: Source Of Cultural And Social Identity Introduction Food is one of the most important aspects of human life. It helps in development of body and fulfills the different nutritional needs of human beings. However, food is also essential for the emotional and psychological need of man as it is associated with feelings, personal values and culture. Hence, food has crossed the barriers of biological domain and has become a part of cultural, social and symbolic construction (Mintz and Du Bois 99). In recent times, food has gained so much importance that the aspects related to food, like eating habits, eating rituals, human behavior, tastes, cuisines etc., have become the part of personal identity (Mintz and Du Bois 99). Moreover, due to globalization, people are able to expand their choice of food and are able to access different kinds of cuisines from different cultures. In ancient times, food was only the means of survival and fulfillment of hunger. However, in recent times, food has become a source of self definition and social identity (Mintz 3). Identification with food has become so strong that it is by comparing the food, eating habits and food choices of other people that people form their relationships and social groups (Mintz 3). In today’s modern time, food is a source of social and global identity. Hence, by choosing a particular kind of food or cuisine everyday, man unknowingly forms a social identity for himself and becomes a part of global food system, as globalization has crossed the cultural, national and economic boundaries and in doing so, has also modified the social identities of human being which are formed by food, cultural values and eating rituals. The roots of culinary habits Food is one of the major aspects of culture and society. The psychological, cultural and family values are embedded in food that is prepared in family. The taste of food, eating habits, eating rituals and food choices are created by the customs followed in the family. The customs and rituals related to food are transferred from one generation to other, and are followed by the family religiously. Food choices and culinary habits are strongly embedded in the psyche and emotional make up of a person and hence, it becomes a strong trait of his personality. However, with globalization, lifestyle of people has changed as they are exposed to different cultures, religions, values, customs and most importantly, to different cuisines. Hence, people from current generation have opportunity to expand their choice of food. However, even with easy availability of ingredients and food from different cultures and countries, people still prefer their own cuisine, follow their own eating habits and choose the food that represents their own culture. This is the fact of my life also. My eating habits and choices are shaped by my family. My family follows American food habits. I love cheese burger, sandwich, hot dogs, sandwiches and pizzas. I enjoy having soft drinks with my lunch but have limited its consumption. In my family, I have seen women more dominant and active in kitchen. Hence, I was never interested in cooking or working in kitchen. It was my mother who cooked meal for the whole family. She always made efforts to cook a healthy meal in order to fulfill the nutritious needs of the family. This also meant that I was discouraged from eating junk food and indulging in soft drinks in my growing years. My breakfast consisted of combination of cereals, milk, eggs, fruits or pancakes. Lunch used to be mainly of burger, meat, chicken, pizza etc. For dinner, the whole family used to come together and hence, as a child, I used to enjoy dinner the most. This made me realize that food also has a great capability to create a bonding between the family members. The emotional connection Food brings the family together. Usually, it is during breakfast, or dinner that the whole family gathers on one dining table and spends time together. Most of the times, the whole family shares the same meal. Hence, everyone in the family cultivate almost similar food choice, food habits and eating rituals. My eating habits and choices have been developed by my mother. I still remember the morning breakfast that I used to have in my childhood. The breakfast was more enjoyable as I absorbed love, nurturing and care which were expressed by my mother through the breakfast she prepared for me. Her serving habits and her concern about providing healthy food showed that she loved me a lot. It has been found that during infancy and childhood, people absorb nurturing through their food (Mintz 4). It is also found that the primary caregiver in the family is responsible for food preferences that a person develops in adulthood and hence, it is the food habits and preferences related to the culture and the society of the primary caregiver that influences a child’s food preferences (Mintz 4). Hence, it is not surprising that my food preferences and habits are cultivated from my mother. I still prefer eggs, fruits and milk for breakfast. However, I also need to mention here that globalization did have an impact on my food habits and from my early twenties, my food habits started changing and grew wider. Sadly, that became a matter of concern for my lifestyle. Impact of globalization My family has considered food as a source of nutrition, taste, enjoyment and bonding. Hence, the food that my mother prepared was always tasty and very healthy. I was allowed to eat chocolates only once in a while. This allowed me to develop healthy eating habits. However, as I entered teenage and started going out with my friends, I started indulging in soft drinks and pizzas a lot. I realize that my changing food habits were result of the globalization. It took me a long time to realize that the trendy and psychologically manipulative advertisements have made me attracted towards the soft drinks, potato chips and pizza. According to Leach (1999), the production level, processing, attractive packaging and physical characteristics of ‘new’ food have contributed in changing the dietary habits of people (Mintz and Du Bois 99). This is true in my case as well. My healthy eating habits were disturbed due to the enhanced and addictive taste and attractive packaging of fast food. I started gaining weight and losing stamina in few years. My unhealthy eating habits were concern for me and created a fear of losing complete control over myself. Fortunately, I became conscious of this in time and shifted back to my healthy habits. I am not saying that I do not consume soft drink or do not eat chips. It is just that I eat fast food only once in a while and most of the food that I eat is healthy and nutritious. I have also learnt to cook from my mother and make my own breakfast now. Moreover, I keep myself up to date on healthy eating habits and new discoveries regarding food through magazines, websites and television programs. In this way, even though globalization had a slight negative impact on my eating habits, it did not affect me much as I became a health conscious consumer and always remain alert in my choice of food. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is clear that if a person does not take control of his eating habits and does not assert his choice, then he can become a victim of globalization of food. However, it can also be said that globalization has also contributed in bringing the best and healthy options from around the world and has made those options available for consumer. Globalization of food is good thing if consumer makes right choices. Hence, it is the healthy choice of the consumer that affects his eating habits and not the globalization of food. Work Cited Mintz, Sidney. Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1985. Mintz, Sidney and Christine Du Bois. “The anthropology of food and eating.” Annual Review Anthropology. 31 (2002): 99-119. Print. Read More