ANTH 111 Lecture 7: Week 4, Lecture 7
Defining Foodways and Major Questions for Exploration
Foodways
The structured beliefs and behaviours surrounding the
production, distribution, and consumption of food
○
Changes raise concerns about diet-related diseases,
environmental sustainability and the social consequences of
industrial agriculture
○
Cultural variation in how people find, make, eat, and relate to
food
○
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Why is there no universal human diet?
Omnivores
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Actual diets do not consist of "everything" but a limited range of
plants and animals, determined by what is available, biological
restrictions, cultural practices, and preferences
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Eat a variety of things and usually plants and animals
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Meals are typically formed around a core--legume--fringe
pattern
This combination meets biological needs (balanced
nutrition) and cultural needs (variety and flavor)
§
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In this way culture and biology interact in complex ways to
create human diets
○
Lactase Persistence (please read about in text)
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Why do people eat things others consider disgusting?
Ideas about what we want, or don't want, to eat are closely tied
to processes of cultural construction, symbolism, group identity
and cultural change
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Foodways are culturally constructed/permeated by cultural
beliefs and governed by systematic rules and etiquette--regulate
what, and how
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Foodways have social messages--communicate divisions and
unequal power relations
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Foodways mark social identity and boundaries
"One's place in a social system is revealed by what, how
much, and with whom one eats"
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Food preferences, etiquette, and taboos mark social
boundaries and identities
§
Eating practices may mark gender differences, ethnic or
regional differences, and professional or class status
§
Taste: a concept that refers to the sense that gives
humans the ability to detect flavors, as well as the social
distinction associated with certain foodstuffs. Taste can
refer to physical sensation and social distinction and
prestige.
§
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Foodways are dynamic
May remain stable or may change rapidly due to:
Availability--overhunting or overfishing change what
is available
□
Perceived healthiness--gluten free □
Changes in processing technology and affordability--
corn
□
Socially motivated changes in eating habits--
convenience foods
□
§
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How do different societies get food?
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How are contemporary foodways changing?
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Anthropologists bring in a holistic perspective to the study of food and
foodways, meaning we focus on the complex interactions between
human nutritional needs, ecology, cultural industry, and political-
economic processes
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Video
Taboo: Delicacies
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http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=105077&xtid=
40827
If you have problems getting to video, first make sure you are
signed into PAWS
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Think about what we've talked about
Why is there no universal human diet
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Why do people eat things that other's consider disgusting?
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How would you feel about eating some of the items in the
video? Why?
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Week 4, Lecture 7
Document Summary
The structured beliefs and behaviours surrounding the production, distribution, and consumption of food. Changes raise concerns about diet-related diseases, environmental sustainability and the social consequences of industrial agriculture. Cultural variation in how people find, make, eat, and relate to food. Actual diets do not consist of everything but a limited range of plants and animals, determined by what is available, biological restrictions, cultural practices, and preferences. Eat a variety of things and usually plants and animals. Meals are typically formed around a core--legume--fringe pattern. This combination meets biological needs (balanced nutrition) and cultural needs (variety and flavor) In this way culture and biology interact in complex ways to create human diets. Ideas about what we want, or don"t want, to eat are closely tied to processes of cultural construction, symbolism, group identity and cultural change. Foodways are culturally constructed/permeated by cultural beliefs and governed by systematic rules and etiquette--regulate what, and how.
