I began my PIP believing that my chosen topic was a relatable and relatively simplistic one that could easily be supported by existing knowledge and observations which demonstrated how an increasingly integrated food culture was a progressive movement towards the achievement of global cultural relativism. Instead, I discovered that my ‘perceptive understandings’ were in reality, presumptuous and ethnocentric. I had failed to consider the underlying effects of acculturation on the significance of cultural traditions and values, thus neglecting to address how these changes impacted upon the migrant Chinese diaspora. This outcome effectively proved my initial hypothesis, predicating a simultaneous deterioration in traditional cultural constructs resulting from …show more content…
I have thus developed an acute awareness of the significance of all interactions in the formation of my personal and cultural identity, and a more empathetic understanding of the challenges raised through intergeneration disparities of socialisation in a Western society. The continuous questioning of the prevalence of Western values on the future roles and cultural constructs of the Chinese migrant diaspora has also lead to consideration of their significance on an individual level.
I have come away from the completion of my PIP study in hope of establishing and maintaining a balance between my Westernised values borne from socialisation in Australia and my cultural culinary traditions. This PIP journey has been enlightening in allowing for exploration of aspects of my society, culture and self which I had never previously considered or analysed.
As a result, through the collective medium of ethnic food culture, I have gained a newfound understanding into my cultural heritage, the continuity and changes to traditional beliefs in migrant diasporas, and the future role food cultures in the global setting influence
Food brings community members together, builds on the existing bond between neighbors and family, and presents a understanding of a person's own heritage. In each area of the world, one will see food change into exoctic and diverse dishes of admiration, however, is the normal to the people of the foods origin. In “Ethnic Hash”, by Patricia J. Williams, she details how food can be changed ever so slightly through the use of seasonings, preparation style, and become a essential part of a culture. She comments, “Throw in as many spices and mysterious roots as you can lay your hands on” (Williams 12). Having a valid understanding of the origins of different aspects of culture allows for altering and imputing personal characteristics for generations to
Food is a highly unique commodity, for though it is essential to every single person on earth, there is no other commodity which is acquired and consumed in such diverse ways. It is a multifaceted social instrument, serving to connect people across cultural boundaries while simultaneously drawing lines through society, dividing people across race and class. Though we have discussed the connections between certain alternative food movements and the creation of a ‘white’ identity, I contend that the social mechanisms of food extend beyond the production of ‘whiteness’, and are intricately bound up in the creation and perpetuation of other racial and class identities in Western society. As the ways in which we consume and engage with food
Food can partially shape a person's cultural identity. Geeta Kothari explores the cultural nuances between American and Indian food in the essay, “If You Are What You Eat, Then What Am I?” She expresses this through the symbolism of food, growing up and living between two different cultures. Kothari begins her story as a nine-year-old child curiously wanting to eat the same foods as American children: tuna salad sandwiches and hot dogs. She does not have the guidance from her mother regarding American food and culture. Kothari’s mom curbs the curiosity by reluctantly letting her daughter indulge in a can of tuna fish. Kothari describes the open can of tuna fish as “pink and shiny, like an internal organ” and she wondered if it was botulism (947). The way
In Jessica Harris’s “The Culinary Season of my Childhood” she peels away at the layers of how food and a food based atmosphere affected her life in a positive way. Food to her represented an extension of culture along with gatherings of family which built the basis for her cultural identity throughout her life. Harris shares various anecdotes that exemplify how certain memories regarding food as well as the varied characteristics of her cultures’ cuisine left a lasting imprint on how she began to view food and continued to proceeding forward. she stats “My family, like many others long separated from the south, raised me in ways that continued their eating traditions, so now I can head south and sop biscuits in gravy, suck chewy bits of fat from a pigs foot spattered with hot sauce, and yes’m and no’m with the best of ‘em,.” (Pg. 109 Para). Similarly, since I am Jamaican, food remains something that holds high importance in my life due to how my family prepared, flavored, and built a food-based atmosphere. They extended the same traditions from their country of origin within the new society they were thrusted into. The impact of food and how it has factors to comfort, heal, and bring people together holds high relevance in how my self-identity was shaped regarding food.
Being able to do this, brought me the feeling of joy of unity with my friends. It has become a tradition for my friends and I to bring authentic foods of our culture to share with the table. It is a joy to see their reactions of the pleasure to taste the new substances. I’ve had the opportunity to engage myself in intercultural pursuits as the Vice-President of SHS in order to influence underclassmen to continuing growing to be proud with where they came from; and for the seniors to carry on their culture to college, with the acknowledgment of being
Food is used in different circumstances in life represents a culture, but can also reflect one's personality, lifestyle, and socio-economic
In The Culinary Seasons of my Childhood, Jessica B. Harris- the author- attempts to help readers understand the relationship between food and identity. Harris gave a detailed, but relevant, description of how how food portrayed different cultures in her life and how it taught her many lessons about her family history and who she is; she also described how food brings people together as one and creates a connection that nothing else can. The author helps readers initially understand her ideas by showing examples of how food, even in the same culture, can reflect different social classes.“ Even though chitterlings might be on the menu, they could equally likely be accompanied by a mason jar of corn liquor or a crystal goblet of champagne”( Harris
In Spanish Club, I participated in authentic cooking days, where I learned to cook unique dishes from Spanish speaking countries and their cultural significance. From each cultural activity, I felt as though I was transported to another a world. I experienced a pallet of flavors in my mouth that were not only delicious but also revealed a story about the culture and history of a nation. However, I was not satisfied with keeping all the knowledge
Some argue that globalization will, on the long term, bring all cultures as a unique Western, if not Americanized, culture, while others argue that some cultures will persist in order to keep their own essence and therefore avoid the homogenization of all cultures. Alongside pure tradition, global conflicts, contradictory political regimes and the diversity of economic systems, some cultures are bound to face issues when trying to fully fit in a global western culture, and that is why cultures are adaptable to one another, but with some limits that we will express in this essay.
During the 1870’s to 1930’s, large numbers of Chinese immigrants came to the United States in search of a successful life for themselves and generations to come. Although some immigrants found it possible to Americanize, the extent to which the vast majority of Chinese immigrants in California preserved the cultural traditions of their homeland was much greater than that of assimilation. This outcome was due to the fact that they were logically more inclined to place themselves within ethnic enclaves after coming to a land of unfamiliarity, but they were also pressured and outcast as aliens under several legal acts and extremely discriminating prejudice from original Americans.
When considering food as a part of my identity, there are multiple components that make up who I am. It is a mix of family heritage, experiences, and personal preferences, which all culminate together to form my food identity. While some might see their food identity as one culture, concept, or idea, I see my food identity as a variety. This variety consists of what foods I like and the memories associated with them. Specifically, my memories and experiences with my family have contributed to what I believe to be my food identity.
This paper will discuss the multifaceted relationships among food, and culture. I will be looking at the relationships people have with food, and explore how this relationship reveals information about them. Their food choices of individuals and groups, can reveal their ideals, likes and dislikes. Food choices tell the stories of where people have travelled and who they have met along the way.
The necessity for sustenance is ubiquitous. Food chemically provides the human body with the needed glucose in order to convert ATP to usable energy in cells. This chemical conversion is essential for human existence. Though the primary importance of food is sustenance; humanity has elevated this biological imperative beyond survival. Food is symbolic, it connects people. Eating is a collective activity shared amongst humanity; therefore food allows interconnectivity and exchange between otherwise vastly different societies. There may be no universal type of food, but the enjoyment and celebration of food transcends our basic differences and allows for the introduction of cultural exchange. Thus food can become a road map of an individual’s
As a foodie, eating foods is my favorite thing and I also find my speciality in eating, that is tasting food and know the condiment in every dishes. When I was a child, I usually go to kitchen to see adults cooking. My intention is not to learn how to cook, but to know where the dishes that I felt very delicious from out of curiosity. As time passed, I knew the recipe of every dishes that I like gradually and learned how to improve it taste. I born at a country that have many delicious foods and the cuisine like to use many kinds of condiments. Through the process of knowing the recipe of cuisine, I also learned many condiments and their use.
The Socialization of my life. This is how I become who I am. My early socialization has been a big role in my life along with my significant others, which includes my parents and friends. My defining moments in my life and the experiences I’ve faced. Also with the media's help I’ve become to understand the simple things. Over the past sixteen years I have learned to become the person i am today all because of socialization.