Exam 1 Study Guide
What 3 pieces make up the "puzzle" of the Black woman?
-African ancestry -black struggle in U.S. history -female identity
Why has Indonesia converted to the Muslim religion whereas China has not?
-Indonesia is not as ecologically friendly for pig raising as China, therefore making the Muslim religion spread
Name one major holiday for each religion
-Judaism (Yom Kippur) -Catholicism (Mardi Gras) -Eastern Orthodox Christianity (Easter) -Protestantism (Christmas) -Islam (Ramadan) -Hinduism (Diwali) -Buddhism (Vesak - Buddha Day)
Food Map
-Noodle, Texas -Coconut, Florida -Lime, Oregon
The Muslim religion bans only the pig. How does this inhibit the spread of a religion that rivals Christianity in its number of followers?
-a majority of surrounding countries are ecologically well suited for pig raising, therefore making it difficult to spread the Muslim religion
Biculturation
-a new culture seen as a complement to the original culture of origin
Why were seeds so important to Blacks/Africans and what seeds did Africans bring to the US?
-accessibility to the roots of plants is preserved by possession of seeds -slaves brought seeds with them (ex. watermelons, okra) -symbolic to preserving the African culture -maintain an ethnic African identity through food
Acculturation
-acculturation is process by which an ethnic group moves into another new majority society and begins to adopt the new society's cultural values and habits -1st gen process: adopt some majority behaviors but generally surround themselves with family and friends with the same cultural background -2nd gen process: more likely bicultural - the "positive" aspects of both cultures may be embraced -a continuum of behavior, not necessarily linear -cultural based food habits are often the last tradition people changes -dependent on: availability of native ingredients, convenience/cost/market forces, taste
What are some of the origins (or explanations) of food taboos?
-aesthetics -compassion -divine commandment -ecology -ethnic identity -health and sanitation
What are some general categories of foods that are tabooed?
-an animal -parts of an animal -diseased or unusual animals -pets -animals eaten with other animals or food -eggs or fertilized eggs -location of animal -location of consumption -time of consumption -age/sex of person consuming -health status/physiological state
What are ruminants and why are they better adopted to the Middle East than pigs?
-animals that are herbivores with diets that consist of plants that have a high cellulose content (special stomach to digest) -these animals are most efficient for digesting material like grass and straw -they are better adopted to the Middle East because they eat stuff from the land that humans don't -pigs were not suitable because they would lose weight eating the same thing -pigs are also not suitable for agricultural purposes -pigs aren't suited for the environmental conditions
What are some examples of how self-identity/self-expression is associated with food?
-consumption of food means a personal incorporation > personal reflection of who we are -we learn food preferences from trusted or valued others (elders, valued social groups) -these meaning are culturally dependent
What happened in the Middle East that made pigs less adapted for agriculture?
-deforestation (no shade, food) -human population increase (less space)
What types of symptoms do people with moderate to severe lactose intolerance or lactase insufficiency experience?
-discomfort in the stomach -flatus -bloating -mild cramps
Dietary laws for Islam
-eating is part of worship, self-indulgence is discouraged, followers should only eat until 2/3 of their capacity, sharing food is encouraged, if not using utensils, eat only with the right hand -halal: permitted or lawful foods -haram: unlawful or prohibited foods -foods that are produced according go the laws of islam are sometimes marked with a symbol to designate they are halal -unlawful or prohibited: swine, improperly slaughtered animals, blood and blood products, alcoholic beverages and intoxicating drugs, drinking tea and coffee is discouraged
Describe the Consumer Food Choice Model - what are some influencing factors?
-explains the factors that influence individual decisions about what they choose to eat -many interrelated factors -food selection primarily determined by taste -also cost, local food environment, convenience, self-expression, advertising, physical and spiritual well-being, life stage, gender, state of health, variety
What is the developmental perspective of food culture?
-food culture is the term used to describe the non-nutritive significance of food -by looking at how different cultural groups categorize foods, we can perceive what is valued
What is a permanent food taboo? Example?
-foods that are always prohibited for a group (ex. pork by jews and muslims, cows by hindus, cats and dogs in western society)
What concerns Hughes regarding Western polarities (the concept of the "versus")?
-for Blacks, there are a set of values that have contradictions and confusions made by Westernized America -"versus" in the American culture portrays an extremely low tolerance level for difference and pluralisms -instead of blending cultures, Euro-white-American cultures are superimposed over other non-Euro-white cultures -doing this places positive, ruling powers on the Euro-American groups and negative, nonruling powers on peoples of color -no equal economic access -the concern is that Blacks accept the labels of Western polarities -concerned black people adopt the same cultural concepts that are used to perpetuate hierarchical social-class structures = black oppression
Core and Complementary Food Model/Flavor Principles
-foundation of the diet: eaten daily, food most associated with cultural identity -secondary core foods: foods eaten several times a week -peripheral foods: eaten only occasionally, indicative of personal taste, not group preference -core foods are often eaten with complementary foods to provide: flavor (ex. tomato sauce on pasta), improved nutrition quality (rice and beans)
Dietary laws for Hinduism
-hindus avoid foods that are believed to hamper the development of the body or mental abilities -the Laws of Many originally said that there is no sin to eating meat or drinking alcohol but that abstinence from these is better -many hindus are vegetarian -Ahimsa: the principle of non violence (extends to not eating meat) -the cow is considered sacred and is not to be killed or eaten, products of the living cow are both pure and can purify other products -pork is usually avoided as well; many other animals are also avoided -some foods are avoided depending on who prepared the food -pious hindus may also abstain from alcohol -in reality, hindus exercise personal choice regarding food taboos -purity and pollution are intertwined in food customs: pollution is the opposite of purity and should be avoided; running water is used to purify other foods
Food taboos typical for the US
-horsemeat -portions of cattle (headcheese, tongue, eyes, brain, feet, tail, bone marrow, bones, heart, lung) -rodents -rabbits -reptiles -snake meat
Describe the edible/inedible model of individual food habits
-inedible foods -edible by animals but not by humans -edible by humans but not by my kind -edible by humans but not by me -edible by me
Culture
-it can be defined as the values, beliefs, attitudes, and practices accepted by members of a group or community -is learned, not inherited -changes over time -is passed from one generation to another (enculturation) -is reinforced by isolation
What examples does he give?
-levi strauss believed that the human mind thinks fundamentally in these binary oppositions and their unification (thesis, antithesis, synthesis, triad), and that these are what make meaning possible -furthermore, he considered the job of myth to be a slight of hand, an association of an irreconcilable binary opposition with a reconcilable binary opposition, creating the illusion, or belief that the former had been resolved
What are some of the theories behind meat prohibitions?
-many cultures impose some restrictions on what meats may be consumed, mostly in accordance with religious laws -researchers have hypothesized on reason behind meat prohibitions (ex. jews and muslims, no pork) -part of "omnivore's paradox"? -avoiding disease? -socio ecological reasons?
Examples of symbolic uses of food
-meanings from relationship, association, or convention - no nutrient content -example: associations with bread: staff of life, breaking bread with friends, white bread as upper class status, whole wheat as valuing health
Describe feminine and masculine roles related to food as described by Hughes
-men assume "masculine" chores like slaughtering the beast, removing the hairy covering, and cutting it into its major parts -African men were hunters and providers -women were nurturing souls for the children, men, and elders
Describe the cooking habits of Black women
-never use recipes or measuring instruments -using "common senses" of taste, smell, sight, touch, and soulful intuition -basic cultural knowledge and intuition used
What is the American Paradox?
-new cultural metaphor for America: "melting pot" > "tossed salad": separate components each still present but in a delicious, complementary blend -ethnic groups will adopt U.S. foods but may be modified (ex. corn to flour tortillas) -in U.S. we have a rising interest in ethnic foods but recipes are adapted to American taste (ex. salsa now out sells ketchup)
Dietary laws for 7th Day Adventist
-no tobacco -no strong drink (especially alcohol) -no hot drinks (tea and coffee) -no caffeine -vegetarianism is widely practiced -adherents do eat milk and eggs
What is binary opposition?
-pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning -the system by which, in language and thought, two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another
What rationale does Harris give for the Levite ban of camel meat?
-part of the hoof
Enculturation
-passed from one generation to another
Assimilation
-people from cultural group shed their ethnic identity and fully merge into the majority culture
Ethnocentric
-person uses his or her own values to evaluate the behavior of others while regarding own culture as superior to others
What reasons does Harris give that pork aversion is irrational?
-pigs possess the greatest potential for swiftly and efficiently changing plants into flesh (they grow faster than any other animal) -pigs birth more babies and at a faster rate -pigs are cleaner than thought -they don't eat their own poop, other animals do -considered "filthy," but not as filthy as other animals -carries disease, but proven to be only if not cooked fully, just like other meats -chewing of cud isn't necessarily performed by cows, goats, sheep (contradiction)
What does a plump body represent to the Black Woman?
-plumpness is a symbol of the wonderful job which a Black women is performing -considered a success symbol -health and prosperity
What is the Culinary Triangle?
-raw(roasted), cooked (smoked), rotted (boiled)
Dietary laws for Judaism
-set down in the bible -Kosher or kasher means 'fit' and is the popular term for the dietary laws -glatt kosher: strictest kosher standards -all Orthodox and some Conservative Jews follow the dietary laws, although interpretations may differ -permitted foods include mammals that have a "cloven foot" and chew their cud -the animal must be slaughtered according to shehitah, most of the blood is drained out in this slaughtering method, the slaughtered animal is examined -parts of a permitted animal can be forbidden -the preperation of the meat is defined -the law of meat and milk -products of forbidden animals -examination for insects and worms -processed foods can be certified as kosher
What is a temporary food taboo?
-some foods avoided for certain periods of time -often apply to women and reproductive cycle
When blacks move away from the "ghetto" to the suburbs, do they lose their cultural food identity?
-some may deny their cultural food heritage, but there is a bond among Black folks -Black food culture is a connecting link among one another
How does the author explain the intermediate to low levels of lactate sufficiency found in South India versus the consistently low lactate sufficiency found in China?
-southern Indians have been subjected to only mild selective pressure for obtaining calcium and other nutrients from milk -in China, people were never forced or had to drink milk to provide nutrients, therefore they grew up with a lactate sufficiency -also, the way agriculture and farming was approached was different between the countries -less growing of animals to help farm -Chinese used pigs for farming, and pigs are not suitable for milking -simply put, Chinese were under no nutritional pressure to make use of milk
What is at the core of Black food celebrations?
-the intent of sharing
Describe the importance of roots.
-the roots of plants are basic to the meaning of soul food -roots as a basic Black food can be traced to African tradition (yams and sweet potatoes)
Ethnicity
-the term for cultural membership, a social identity -shared behaviors, food habits, dress language, family structure, often religious affiliation -common history or location -intraethnic variations
What circumstances does the author propose to help explain the high percentage of lactate sufficiency among Northern Europeans?
-they were dependent on milk for their calcium and other nutrients because of a lack of other food sources to provide the nutrient -ancestors grew tolerances to milk, which then made it able for more people to drink it that were native to northern Europe
In a Black kitchen, how may meals are prepared a day and what is the importance of hot breakfast?
-three solid meals are prepared daily: breakfast, dinner, and supper -when a Black child goes to school, a caring mother sees that she or he has had a "hot meal"
Dietary laws for Buddhism
-vary widely depending on the sect and country -doctrine forbids taking life; therefore, many followers are lacto-ovo-vegetarians -some eat fish; others only abstain from beef
What is the Omnivore's Paradox?
-we are a flexible, but cautious species -attraction to new, but preference for familiar -the ability to use a wide range of edible foods over all of the climates of the world puts humans at an advantage -conserve safe food choices within a culture through ritual and repetition -avoid poisoning ourselves on new, toxic foods through general caution
Where in the world are you likely to find lactophobes? Lactophiles?
Lactophobes: China, Japan, Korea, Eastern Asian countries, Thailand, New Guinea, Austrailia, Western Africa, Brazil Lactophiles: Europe (Dutch, Danes, Swedes, Scandinavians), Spain, Italy, Greece, India
