Gender, Food and the Body
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Transcript of Gender, Food and the Body
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Gender, Food and the
Body
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Reeves-Sanday reading
pulling train in college fraternities
Reinforces cultural values of patriarchy
Creates solidarity between fraternity members
Rite of passage into manhoodcommunitas
A behavior that is not acceptable by society.
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Disordered Eating
Reinforces the thin body ideal, in Western cultures,especially for women.
Perceived as primarily a female problem, related tofemale identity.
A form of solidarity between women.
1993 Canadian study of adolescent women
Is a resistance to the role of social reproductionthrough the control of consumption of food.
Refusing food breaks down social relationships, especially thefamily
It reflects the control of food as power.
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Role of Food and Eating
Are of interest to anthropologists regarding therole they play in systems of subsistence,exchange, ritual and the negotiation of social
relationships. Important means through which human beings
construct reality. Reflect social concerns.
Instrumental in the construction of genderidentity.
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The Power of Food
A primary resource for human biological survival
Integral part of forming social relations
Kinship
Gender
Alliances between individuals, families, states
Creates inequalities
Enables humans to adapt to their environment
A tool to transmit culture
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The Canada Food Guide
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Food and Gender
Division of Labor Historically, women have been assigned the role of
social reproduction, which includes both theproduction of social relations and biological
reproduction. Procreation and nurturance of future generation. Food preparation, family nutrition. Subordinate statusprivate or domestic realm.
Historically, men have been assigned the role ofprovider and protector. A position of power. Dominant status - public realm.
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Stereotypical Gendered Roles
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Gender and Food
Women and men are associated withdifferent types of foods and portion sizes: Menheavy foods like meat and potatoes;
large portionsman-sized meals
Foods that stick to your ribs
Womenlight foods like chicken and salads;
small portions; sweets Dainty
Creative and intricate preparation and presentation
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Food Across Cultures
Is coded as feminine
Women associated with the preparation andserving of food.
Men associated with the eating of food thatothers have prepared
Creates a gender hierarchy
Socialization of gender roles associated with
food American example (Roos, 1995)
Gurage example (Shack, 1997)
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Socialization of Gender Roles
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3rdWorld Market Women
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Life Cycle Rituals
Enforce and reinforce gender status
Rites of passage
Involves exchange of food Production and reproduction of culture
Not static, varies across families, societies,
and cultures.
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The Body, Food and Gender
Food and eating habits as theembodiment of social issues.
Disordered eating
Anorexia
Bulimia
Obesity
Type 2 diabetes Heart disease
Hypertension
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The Body as Historical
The body is a symbolsocial meaningsare inscribed on the body.
Social roles and statuses attached to
maleness and femaleness.
Changes in size and shape over time,especially for women.
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Victorian Women
M d d i
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Modern women and pop icons:
Mid-1900s Betty Grable, and Marilyn
Monroe
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Late 1900s: Twiggy and CindyCrawford
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Early 2000: Britney Spears andGwen Stefani
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Body Shape Across Cultures
The thin body ideal does not hold across
cultures
Samoa, Fiji, Rural Jamaica
Sociocentric
Egocentric
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Recap
Western cultures are patriarchal with capitalisteconomies based on production, consumption, andprofit.
Food is a pawn in the political and economic strategiesof states and households.
Food creates solidarity but also inequalities and subjectpositions. In industrial societies, there is a problematic link between food
and body image.
Issues such as fraternity gang rape and disordered
eating are embedded in gender identity and thussocially constructed.
Gender and food are sources of inequality and power
