My central focus of inquiry about food is going to explore global to local to personal connections. Eating meals with family and friends has long been a tradition in most cultures, but with globalization and the expansion of global food industry, there have been rapid changes in the food industry and food customs. I am curious to explore and discuss how globalization has impacted our individual customs. What does food say about our values, socioeconomic status, culture, lifestyle, etc.....? By looking at photographs, what can we learn about families from around the world as well as ourselves? What are the photographs not saying? What additional questions do these images generate? I am just getting started, but I am looking forward to making inquiries into food and many of the delicious aspects that pertain to it.
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ReplyDeleteThere are many thought provoking issues surrounding your inquiry. For me, food has a specific reference to my personal schema as it relates to my family history and tradition. It informs my choice of language in terms of metaphor, symbolism, and narrative memory. Recipes have been passed down through multiple generations with as much ownership of taste as to tradition. I wonder, in regions where food is scarce and that scarcity is the focus, if that experience drives their own linguistic symbolic choices. I consider the difference in our current vernacular VS those of past generations in regards to the symbolism of food... such as the "fast food craze", "have it your way (BK)"... and "super size me." Does food reflect our world view or does our "culinary language" inform our choices? I almost believe that food has evolved from a specific cultural window to a microcosm of socioeconomic reality. Needless to say, the role of food as both inspiration, muse, and reflection is worthy of discussion.
ReplyDeleteI think food is a great entry point for students. Everyone has an opinion about what foods they like and how they eat. It's a topic that they can get behind and get passionate about, which is a great way to get them into some of the other topics and tools we would like them to use.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very interesting topic. Food has become such a central role in our culture - we meet friends out for dinner, we have family dinners, most first dates include a dinner, etc. I think it would be worthwhile to study how the role of food (availability, options, etc) has changed as our culture has changed. The study could also be expanded to other cultures, and see if there's any overlap. What has changed in American culture that ultimately changed other cultures and their food habits? What has changed our culture's food habits throughout time? Once the history has been examined, we could then look to the future. Given the expanding population and the evolution of cultures (and science), how will food change in 30 years? Will we still meet for a big Thanksgiving dinner, or at that point will there just be a pill to take? Another thing to look at is the changing animal populations. There has been some talk of the dwindling animal populations, and how that will affect us. I know a lot of cultures today eat insects - they are full of protein and have very little fat. BUT - how will Americans feel when their choice for dinner is no longer pizza or a hamburger, but grasshoppers or crickets? These are just some of my initial musings - I am looking forward to seeing where this inquiry goes!
ReplyDeleteI am particularly drawn to the connection you are making between food and photography. Your post sent me to the book shelf to pull out John Berger's Ways of Seeing. I'll bring it to you tomorrow to take a look at or borrow. He talks about how visuals shape our lives.
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