Chapter 5: Answers
Food Identity
Comprehension Questions
- The author lists several ways that our choice of food is influenced. What are two of those influences on food choice? Answer: Any 2 of the following – what foods are grown or sold in our geographic regions; what foods our caregivers served when we were infants; the foods eaten by the friends in our social sphere while we were growing up; our values; our wealth; and social trends.
- The author also lists several ways that we come to view the world. Describe two examples of how our worldview or perspective is shaped. Answer: Any two of the following – our upbringing, our unique personal identities, and our experiences.
- Why is it important to consider facts, beliefs, opinions, and prejudices when trying to understand food culture? Give an example for each one as it relates to food. Answer: Each way of knowing is important to understand food culture. For instance, staple foods are usually based on foods that are available within a region (i.e., facts). Using those foods, cultures develop recipes and patterns of eating that produce a pleasant flavour and aroma (i.e., beliefs, based on sense of smell and taste), which result in some benefit (i.e., opinions, based on relationships between food and health or food cookery), and that are derived from prejudices or biased social stereotypes (i.e., some foods or food practices are condemned while others are valued).
- How does the dominant social group impact on food culture? Give an example. Answer: Dominant social groups tend to dictate cultural norms, values, and assumptions, which become interwoven into the structure of society. Example: the use of cutlery, chopsticks, or eating with one’s hands differs regionally across the world, depending on the dominant group’s norms and values.
- How is an understanding of our own identities and biases helpful in understanding food culture? How is it helpful in relating to other cultures? Answer: We need to understand our own personal, community, and societal values, assumptions, norms, and biases. Understanding these can enhance self-awareness and reflectively examine what is embedded in our own meanings of food. Assessing our own identities and biases can help facilitate an understanding of other cultures’ food.
