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

Dominant discourses are discussions or debates about widely talked about topics. It is the leading idea of either the majority or the people who hold the power and when dominant parties contribute to a conversation, their voices are very much heard and for the most part very agreed upon. Discourses about food in America have two conflicting view points where food is either viewed as a poison, or it is glorified as a medicine. People whose voices are heard in these discourses are physicians, doctors in general, the FDA(the government), and the media, these are basically people with high stature who have the say on what we should and should not eat. But what about the farmers who grow our crops and the people who prepare our food in restaurants? Why have their voices been washed out in this discourse when they have the most insight on the food they grow and make? Do we even care about what they have to say? These are all things we have to ask ourselves next time we are following the ideas of the elites opinions.

An example of dominant discourses demoting the health of food is found in the New York Times article, Fixing a World That Fosters Fat by Natasha Singer. This article explains why Americans a drawn to fast food which is mostly because of its various locations everywhere which makes it convenient to many citizens. Another reason why Fast food is so popular is because its price compared to the healthy and organic foods we should be eating.  this article goes on to say, "behavior changes won’t work on their own without seismic societal shifts, health experts say, because eating too much and exercising too little are merely symptoms of a much larger malady"(pg. 1 paragraph 3). I thought this was interesting because it was simply saying that society has to change for society to change, which is a little redundant. The point still holds true though, there will be no change in society unless someone who leads it( dominant members of this discourse) strictly make a change against fatty foods.

I tried looking up what farmers had to say about the food we eat everyday, but because they are apart of the marginal discourse, their ideas aren't out in the media. I found one link that directly had farmers opinions about food in general, but there was an error and the page was sadly not able to open. I did find another interesting article named Corn Farmers Say Food Inc. Shouldn't Win Oscar, by Mary Claire Jalonick. This atricle explains how corn farmers were against the documentary "Food Inc." being nominated for an Oscar because it did not show the positive side of food engineering, but only the the ghastly images of slaughter housing and chicken farms that are used by most cooperate agriculture.  The corn farmers response to this  documentery was "If we don't shoot down their arguments with credible and truthful information, our reputation as America's farmers will suffer significantly." To me this sounded more like a plea to keep their jobs but I believe that it is important a documentary like this one came out to show Americans what they are really contributing to when they purchase fast food.

HW 4 - Your Families' Foodways

I had a discussion with my mother about her food habits and how they're much different than when she was growing up. She said that her mother cooked balanced meals at least 4 times a week. But my grandmother is from the South and she cooked a lot of fried food which my mother said was the only unhealthy aspect of her diet back then. She also didn't snack very often because her mother didn't keep a lot of snack-y food in the house. Now my mom eats out a lot, but when she looks for food her main priorities are taste and how healthy the meal is. "I love food" says my mother, " I like to eat food that's flavorful but I also want to make sure I eat food that's good for my body."

Below is a picture of our refrigerator at home:

My food priorities are very similar to hers when it comes to finding food. Taste and health is also very important to me. My grandmother was a stay-at-home mom which is why I think it was easier for her to prepare meals so frequently. My mother on the other hand has a job where she works very late so by the time she comes home she doesn't have a lot of time to make us dinner. We usually eat leftovers form weekend meals, organic pre-packaged meals or food from restaurants.

I love going to different restaurants and experiencing many different types of food and flavors. Although I grew up on my grandmother's soul food, as did my mother, we both love trying new things. My love for a variety of foods definitely came from my parents because as a child I was exposed to foods from many different cultures including Korean, Ethiopian, Jamaican and West African.

When I was younger, I used to hate any type of food that wasn't fast food, but as a grew older my taste buds developed. My father is strictly against fast food and he is also a vegetarian, so whenever I was with him I had to eat like him. He exposed me to a lot of different types of foods that were delicious and also showed me that a meal can be just as good without meat. I tried being a vegetarian like my father, but it only lasted a month and a half. This was partially because I love meat and because most of the meals my mother and stepfather serve have meat included.

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

Going into both a fast food place and a farmer’s market gave me a lot more insight on food and the different perspective people have on it.  I went to McDonald’s first, which is one of the largest fast food chains in the world.  It is an indoor establishment with seats, but the workers don’t serve you. They are most famous for selling burgers and fries. When asked why they chose to eat at McDonald’s, a costumer replied “It was here.” Convenience seems to play a major role in McDonald’s success. The ATM machines and restrooms also make the restaurant accommodating.

The farmer’s market was a completely different atmosphere. It is an outdoor market where farmers/ food producers sell their product in stands. Most of the produce is made organically which adds to the appeal of the food. The organic market has expanded a lot over the years and this is because organically grown food is positive for the community and good for the environment. The prices are a lot higher at farmer’s markets then they are at McDonald’s because it cost more to make the product and the labor costs are higher. I asked a person who was purchasing food from a stand why they choose to buy groceries from the farmer’s market. Their response was that the food was good quality and that they trusted it. The farmers have years of experience so it is definitely safe to trust them. There are even schools that some of the farmers run to teach younger kids how to grow their own crops.

America is trying to promote healthy eating and is giving everyone an opportunity to buy healthier foods. Some stands at the farmers market took food stamps. The nation’s new found concern with health and organic ingredients has caused fast food chains to react. McDonald’s choose to jump on the band wagon by creating the “real fruit smoothies”. I believe that they created this product to strengthen their image and counter their bad reputation regarding the healthiness of the food. McDonald’s also lists the calories of all the items on their menu, and their calorie count is very high.

 For a person who is trying to maintain an average 2000 calorie diet, eating fast food three times a day is not the best idea. McDonald’s has a definite advantage over famer’s markets though, because of their various locations, cheap prices, and their prepared food that gets to the costumer quickly. A person who goes to fast food restaurants probably thinks “why would I pay $4.00 for cheese when I can get a double cheese burger and fries for the same price?”

HW#2- Initial thoughts about Food

Foods main purpose is to nurture our bodies and to give us enough energy to live,  Although food is important because it keeps us alive, my initial thought about food is the taste! I love food and the different flavors that it provides. Salty, savory, sweet, sour and spicy; all flavors which make it impossible for me not to think about my next meal. I believe that I think of food in this way because different types of food are always available to me, so I have a large selection that I base on taste. If I did not have the option of eating as much as I want, I'd probably only think of food as a way to survive.

My number one priority when looking for food to eat is its taste. The things I eat have to be delicious for me to even want to swallow it. My second priority  when it comes to food is affordability. Since I have no job and I have have to buy food with the money my parents give me, making sure my lunches are cheap is important because I don't have the option to spend a lot of money at once. My third concern with food is how healthy it is. Unfortunately, low prices and healthy food that taste good doesn't really go hand and hand, but I still have to make sure that I'm not eating complete crap.