Food and Home From a Sociological Perspective - Essay Example

Food and Home (Name) (University) Food and Home Introduction Cultural practices around the globe are influenced by the backgrounds of individuals and communities, beliefs, personalities and the environment surrounding a particular person or a people (Vernon, 2014). Practices such as eating, as normal as they appear are complicated and vary from different regions to different people. Food is very important to all living organisms. Among human beings, it not only sustains the body but also acts as a basis for the provision of aspects such as love and security. Feeding behaviour has different determinants which explain preferences that different people possess. Eating is largely social among human beings as the habit provides occasions for sharing and functions are formed around it. The fact that the body requires food in order to function does not mean that human beings utilize food for that particular reason. The choices of food that are made are rarely based on nutrition, unless an individual has to eat nutritiously due to illness and specific health reasons. The view of eating has recently changed but from historical times it is seen that different cultures ate differently such as the French favouring strong coffee, bread and wine while the Germans favoured beer and bread. Most recently these eating habits have been incorporated among different cultures and additionally structured into a global wining and dining system where certain foods are known to be eaten at certain times, in certain places and fro certain functions. The following essay thus discusses food and the home, giving a sociological perspective. Food and Eating Food is one of man’s most essential needs aside from clothing and shelter (Anderson, 2014). Generally, food refers to liquid and solid provisions that are consumed for nourishment of the body and other social functions. Since the prehistoric times food has been viewed as imperative and additionally eaten in social settings. The first animals and human beings ate food for survival. Nutrition was hardly recognized and taste got learnt as different foods were discovered. These ancient people hardly recognized manners during eating as the consumption was mainly for continued existence. Food and eating practices rapidly evolved as man discovered more types of food, different tastes and learnt the different ways of preparing it (Anderson, 2014). Previously viewed as a necessity, food is now recognized as an art. The chore of cooking was also originally left for one gender; women, but is now practiced by men. Food was also mainly prepared at home and inns but currently most establishments have food joints such as supermarkets and petrol stations. Given the importance of eating, food consumed becomes a very vital aspect of what an individual is made of (Fieldhouse, 2013). Anyone can pile up their own food but it is difficult to consume it personally. As such, it happens that people identify with others through eating the same food or introducing themselves to the foods that they eat and doing it in the same way. Eating creates and determines class. Most individuals will eat food that they do not like simply because a certain class is associated with the particular food. The foods also tend to be less sweet, more nutritious and little in terms of amount but just like fashion it is famously identified as the way to eat (Fieldhouse, 2013). Proper eating has evolved to become a lifestyle. In proper eating, there is a specific way in which the food is prepared, how it is served and the manner in which it is eaten. The era of proper eating has introduced the aspect of food etiquette which is the discipline of how to prepare and eat food (Zeller, et al, 2014). Food etiquette has a rigorous standard. There are a number of meals that can be served depending on the occasion. The most common is the standard three meals which are the starters, the main meal and the dessert. Many families currently practice this structure, some even without knowing it. In an informal setting, all these types of food may be served at once. Despite the properness and food etiquette, continuous progression, technological innovations and globalization have brought about the realization of certain harmful natures in these food practices (Zeller, et al, 2014). Lifestyle diseases have cropped up due to how food is consumed. There are more cases of obesity and diabetes which have been brought about by excessive consumption of foods with fats and sugars (Popkin, et al, 2012). The trend has then been to make food healthier, though still portraying it in a fashionable manner. Such occurrences in the food sector have however minimized the concept of treating food with high and lower class angles as the foods previously referred to as lower class are being utilized as the healthy foods. The following section discusses home and homeliness and further relates it to food and eating. Home and Homeliness The distinction between a house and a home has been numerously emphasized with a house being described as a simple building and home as a relationship, a social structure and an ongoing experience. The environment in a home is thoroughly characterized with the familiarity of experiences from the past. Familiarity is rooted in routines, relaxation in the particular environment and comfort. Most individuals practice their real selves and habits in their homes. There are cultural beliefs and practices that form certain systems and shape the contexts of a home. The patterns and rituals practiced in a home are thus from a larger socio cultural context (Collins, 2014). Activities such as eating, sleeping and studying are different in various homes. Eating for instance is very varied in different communities. Most communities from the west eat while seated in chairs. Indians and Arabs eats while seated on rags placed on the floor (Katz, 2012). In ancient Rome, the people were known to eat while lying down. Additionally, the tools used during eating vary from region to region. Communities like the Arabs basically use their hands while eating. Westerners are more used to cutlery such as knives, spoons and forks. Africans have adopted the Western culture of eating but some foods such as ‘Fufu’ in Nigeria and ‘Ugali’ in Kenya are eaten using bare hands. Despite certain routines in hotels and other eating areas, the home has certain practices of eating that are rarely stopped. The home is an identity where an individual exudes personal emotions and bonds with the environment. There is a strong relationship between the dwelling and the dweller. In a home, the identity of an individual or individuals is continuously realized through the connections with the past (Zeller, et al, 2014). The physical environment creates an anchor which plays a part in the identity but the comfort in a home is founded more on the routines, practices and beliefs carried out. The relationship in a home involves being connected to people in terms of family or friendship and a general order that is socio cultural. A connection with the place is additionally vital in that an individual is first oriented into it then puts down their foundations and acquires their identity. The individual will continuously connect with the past and the present to fully form an identity with the place. The following section relates food and eating to the home environment. Food, Eating and the Home A home brings about the feeling of identity as mentioned in the previous section. There is a feeling of security that is realized in a home. This feeling comes about from the fact that there is the provision of the basic needs in the home and the absence of threatening situations (Zeller, et al, 2014). The presence of a law that is simply of the home and one that is owned by the members of the home additionally gives the feeling of security. There is also the aspect of familiarity in a home. This familiarity enables the members of a home to practice and feel within their environment with full knowledge of the place and with ascertained assurance. The members possess a practical know how of the place which creates the sense of security. The home creates the feeling of new possibilities and opportunities in terms of emotional growth and social advancement. The family environment has strong pressure over the behaviour of its members including the consumption of food. For years families have eaten together as meal times are more of a family affair than simply nourishing the body. The potential influences of the family food environment include eating behaviours which are adapted from the modelling behaviour of the parents towards food and food consumption, the availability of food and the support given by the family related to foods. There is evidence that shows that families that have meals together have stronger relationships and healthier lifestyles as opposed to those that do not. This is due to the fact that it is easier to form and practice regular good and healthy eating practices together than individually where there is no discipline. Food provides a foundation for practices for the home which are within the private sphere (Belasco, 2014). It additionally provides a foundation where home building can be nurtured for the public sphere. Despite the rise and increase of public eateries throughout the world, most people still crave a home cooked meal. Many individuals have been brought up in home environments with food traditions that are difficult to forget. It often comes up in conversations where one mentions a particular food cooked by the mother or the grandmother that cannot be rivalled in any food establishment. The food in the home environment is furthermore a source of pride among members of the family. It can also act as an identifiable provision in the family. Most mothers are known for their delicious stews or vegetables pies in communities and are often called upon to cook during community fairs. Food in the home is also evolutionary and this is observed through interrelations such as neighbours exchanging recipes or intercultural, interracial and international marriages (Valentine, 2014). These interrelations bring about exchange of ideas and a widened thinking towards the food environment. Some individuals might insist on maintaining with the foods they are used while others are open to trying new foods in the home. Missing of home food may bring about feelings of nostalgia and may result to an individual feeling homeless in their own home (Belasco, 2014). The concept of food and eating is thus very vital in the identity of an individual to a home. The next section summarises the whole paper on the discussion of food and home. Conclusion As discussed in the paper, food and the home are directly linked and greatly influence personalities and behaviour. The food environment in a home creates an identity for the individuals in the home. It additionally shapes the behaviour of the members in terms of discipline and feeding habits, both present and future. Food is cultural, social and technological. The foundations of food are mostly made in homes despite the coming up of fine dining establishments and food rituals that are quite sophisticated. Depending on class, culture, age, peers and backgrounds; food and eating affects the human society on many angles. Food is most diverse and cannot stop where it is. It is additionally rich in culture as most traditional home practices have been carried down and some are being use in recognized food establishments. References Anderson, E.N., 2014. Everyone eats: Understanding food and culture. NYU Press. Belasco, W. and Scranton, P., 2014. Food nations: selling taste in consumer societies. Routledge. Collins, R., 2014. Interaction ritual chains. Princeton university press. Fieldhouse, P., 2013. Food and nutrition: customs and culture. Springer. Katz, R., 2012. Passing the Salt: How Eating Together Creates Community. Popkin, B.M., Adair, L.S. and Ng, S.W., 2012. Global nutrition transition and the pandemic of obesity in developing countries. Nutrition reviews, 70(1), pp.3-21. Vernon, P.E., 2014. Intelligence and Cultural Environment (Psychology Revivals). Routledge. Zeller, B., Dallam, M., Neilson, R. and Rubel, N. eds., 2014. Religion, Food, and Eating in North America. Columbia University Press. 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