HW 5 - Dominant Discourses Regarding Contemporary Foodways in the U.S.

When people talk about food in the United States, there are a few things they mainly talk about. These are the dominant discourses about food. Dominant discourses are the conversations that surround a subject, and are confined to a few key points. These conversations are “dominant” because many people have them. They are confined, because while the topic of conversation is something that is being discussed a lot, people basically say the same things over and over again, as there are only so many things that are considered “okay” to say.

The main dominant discourses about food in the US seem to center around health, and the ways food can hurt or harm it. If you eat too much, you might become overweight, or obese. If you eat the "wrong" food- fast food or processed food - you put yourself at risk of becoming unhealthy from all the chemicals/preservatives that are in the food, or you are just not eating the right stuff. If you just get unlucky and happen to eat a food that has something wrong with it (ex. Salmonella), you can get sick or die. And if you eat the "right" food, then you are seemingly okay- but what is the right food? Does this simply mean eating more vegetables, or do they have to be organic, farmers market vegetables? Can people really afford to do that?

The foodways of someone reasonably well informed would be mostly healthy. He or she would probably try to eat more vegetables, avoid fast food, try too cook at least some of the time, eat at least one meal a day with family and friends, and eat pretty healthily most of the time. He or she would also exercise pretty regularly and live somewhere that made it possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and overall, be in pretty good health.

HW 4 - Your Families' Foodways

When I spoke to various people in my family about their foodways, I decided to focus on dinner, since this is generally the main meal of the day, where the whole family would be together, and the food choices and traditions would be most apparent.

So, first, my dad's family.

When my dad and his sisters were in high school, girls were required to take home ec., where they learned to cook (Boys took shop. This seems idiotic to me- growing up, every family I knew had both parents cooking, always.). My grandmother was a nurse, so she was pretty aware of eating healthily, and made all meals at home. There also wasn't a lot of "ethnic" food (Not even a pizza place. They had to make it from that pillsbury dough used to make rolls), fast food, or takeout ("It wasn't our style", says my aunt).

So, a typical dinner would be a salad at the beginning of the meal (My dad said his dad did this in some French tradition that his parents had taken up: "His family called it "exhibition salad" because it was done as a performance, the dressing being added and the salad being tossed while the family was gathered around the table," my dad said) followed by the main course, usually meat (chicken, roast beef, pork chops). They always had milk to drink with dinner, powdered milk (It was cheaper). They didn't have dessert, but there was a bowl of fruit in the table for snacks.

My mother's family was very different, and the thing I mean when I saw this is that they seemed to enjoy the actual food and meal more - it wasn't all about health. A lot of this seeems to have to do with cultural values, as they were Italian and lived in a neighborhood where pretty much everyone else was as well. So the food that my mom ate was pretty much what her parents and grandparents had eaten (her grandparents also cooked and ate dinner with her family once or twice a week, so this would explain the continuity), and everyone sat around and talked ("Argued") more. So, having eaten with my grandparents throughout my whole life, this is pretty much how it goes:

Snacks -  Small things people eat when they're wating for the table to be set, if they have the luxury of not having to set it.

Drinks (There's always water, and then something in addition - milk, juice, or soda, but only coke or root beer. There's also wine, and the kind depends on what's being eaten- white wine for chicken and "light" foods, red wine for steak or beef- "heavier" foods.).

Anything With Tomato Sauce- Usually meat and whatever food is eaten on the side, or pasta with homemade sauce. However, this isn't really the "main course", since there's so much else.

Salad - Pretty self-explanatory. This is apparently eaten slowly to help digest the other food before dessert, so come that time, you won't be stuffed. Also, it cleans your teeth.

Fruit - Same thing, and did I mention that this is all on different plates?

Dessert- Something chocolate (The best part).
  
After-dinner drinks-  Decaf coffee.

Note: This meal takes a minimum of two hours to complete, and a minimum of four on Sundays, possibly five if it's an election year.

 So, after having to sit through all that her whole life, it makes sense that my mom wouldn't want to put a lot of unnecessary effort into cooking. There's also the fact that in New York city, people mainly want speed and convinience, no matter what they're eating (and there's a lot to choose from), so there isn't really time. So, when I'm at home for dinner, we sometimes eat the same things she would have, or some less time-consuming version thereof. I think most of the differences between the way I eat and my parents and grandparents did are simply because of the place I live - I feel like if I didn't live in the city, I would probably eat the same things they do, almost the same way they do.

HW 3 - Food - Fast Food Insights and Green Market Realizations

The main difference between Wendy’s and the Union Square green market seems to be what customers want from their experience there. People who go to a green market want food that is fresh and organic, and that they will take home and cook themselves. This also means that they have the time to do that, something that Wendy’s customers might not necessarily have. The point of fast food is that it is just that- fast. While there were some people in Wendy’s who were sitting and enjoying their meals, for the most part everyone there seemed to be in a rush. This is very different from the green market, where everyone seemed to be taking his or her time.

Something else I noticed about Wendy’s was that they heavily advertise their salads, obviously to make their restaurant seem healthier. This reminded me of a study I once read about that suggested people considered themselves healthier if they considered ordering a salad before ultimately choosing something less healthy (Fries, burgers, etc.). This means that people think better of their choices if they are presented with healthier ones, even if they don’t end up actually choosing the healthier options. As if just considering getting a salad is an accomplishment in itself.

Fast food is successful because it gets people what they want quickly. Green markets are successful for the opposite reason – while it doesn’t take long to actually buy the food, most people would want to buy it and then cook it later, which takes some time. I think the middle ground between these two options would be a supermarket, such as Pathmark or C-Town. These places offer both fresh produce like a green market would (although it’s not organic), and prepared foods, which are quick and easy, like food at Wendy’s.

There is also the argument that Eloise brought up (http://ellof.blogspot.com/): Depending on where someone lives, they might not have the option of a green market (there is almost always the option of a fast food restaurant). No matter what kind of food people want, they should always have a choice- they shouldn’t be forced to choose one place over another.

HW 1 - Food (Initial Thoughts)

I think of food simply as energy. The purpose of it is simply to make it possible for people to stay balanced and alive. I probably think this because I like science and tend to look at things from that point of view. I also just did not grow up placing a lot of value on food – it takes a long time to cook and prepare, and this seems like a lot of trouble for something that will be gone within half an hour. There is also the fact that this is New York City and people are pretty impatient, so maybe that rubbed off on me.

However, I realize that other people view food differently. For instance, when I visit family, there is more effort put into cooking and preparing a meal then I would consider necessary (since I would simply value convenience along with taste). There is also less time spent actually eating it, at least in proportion to the time spent making it.

I would say that I do not think the actual food is sacred. However, meals are. By meals I mean the event of people sitting down together to eat, and talk, and relax. My “ideal meal” would not necessarily be one where I had something really good to eat, but one that was memorable because I enjoyed spending time with the person or people I was eating with.

For instance, I once went to visit a cousin in San Jose. We went to a restaurant that one of her friends worked at, and stayed for two hours, talking, because I had not seen her in years. Another time, I was in a pizza place with friends for a whole afternoon, simply because it was winter and that was a place to be that was indoors. The list goes on and on. Do I remember what I ate and drank any of these times? No. I remember being with people and enjoying their company.

In conclusion, on a day-to-day basis, I see food as fuel, meant to sustain people. However, the things that surround food are just as, if not more important then the food itself.