Food and Culture a Cross Cultural Look at Eating Habits

Food and Culture: A Cross Cultural Look at Eating Habits No matter where we are from, eating is one of the most personal experiences of life. Everyone finds enjoyment and comfort in eating foods associated with their early days and heritage, but personal sensations and perceptions on eating are merely a fraction of the global picture. Learning about other cultures, their values, and what they seek will enhance relationships between individuals throughout communities and the nation. Eating habits provide a very conducive way for promoting mutual understanding between everyone. According to dictionary.com, food is any nourishing substance ingested in the body to provide energy and sustain life and growth. â€Å"Food habits refer to the way†¦show more content†¦Food is something so common to all, yet it denotes incredibly different ideals from table to table. Food habits are culturally consistent modes of behavior relating to food that have been established by individuals reared in a given cultural tradition (Counihan, 2008, p . 18). The specific behaviors towards food are interrelated with other culture-specific behaviors in the same community. â€Å"Humans do not nourish themselves from natural nutrients, nor from pure dietary principles, but from cultured food-stuffs, chosen and prepared according to laws of compatibility and rules of propriety unique to each cultural area† (Counihan, 2008, p. 76). Food is essential to ethnic, religious, and regional identity. Before delving into the implications of food in the diverse cultural contexts of Spain, China, and the United States, it is important to first understand the background elements of food and how it serves to establish specific cultures. There are four ways to understanding and categorize the food habits and the role of food in different cultures. They include â€Å"frequency of food consumption; ways a culture traditionally prepares and seasons food; daily, weekly, and yearly use of food; and changes in food functions that emerge duri ng structural growth in a culture† (Kittler, 2008, p. 7). The core and complementary foods model groups food together based on their rate of consumption. According to this framework, core foods are those regularly consumed in a person’sShow MoreRelatedUnderstanding Cross Cultural Communication Barriers1631 Words   |  7 PagesIt is a challenge to communicate effectively with people that from different countries and cultures. Due to the different backgrounds and cultures, there are a number of barriers to effective cross-cultural communication. The same words have different meanings to people that from different cultures, even the people that speak the same language. In my own opinion, there are three aspects of cross-cultural communication barriers: they are language, behavior and emotion. Firstly, language is alwaysRead MoreEthnographic Experience with Chinese Essay1004 Words   |  5 PagesEthnographic Experience Introduction Chinese families are highly misunderstood and stereotyped in the United States. It is important to understand a different culture before one makes the assumptions produced by these stereotypes. In order to find a better understanding about Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans, one must do research on that countries heritage, traditions, and other customs before submerging one-self into a Chinese families home. I chose to experience and observe a ChineseRead MoreCultural Integration And Cultural Assimilation1038 Words   |  5 PagesCultural Assimilation is a procedure by which a person’s culture is transformed by another culture. Throughout the world, many cultures are being assimilated into the Western way of life. The cultures of ethnic groups in the United States and other countries are constantly influenced by the Western culture through movies, singers, clothing brands, food companies, and new technology inventions. Immigrants are expected to resemble the dominant culture in terms of norms, behavior and values. The threeRead MoreAustralian Food Habits 1428 Words   |  6 Pageswhy Australians consume the foods that they do, sometimes we consume food aimlessly without even thinking about the food habits we have developed. I live with my parents which means that a lot of the foods consumed are based around convenience or they are cultural foods that mum and dad grew up with when they were younger. As a university student, I bring in my own income which also influences my food consumption. The aim is to use the Food and Diet Questionnaire and Food Frequency Questionnaire toRead MoreContemporary Issue Policy Assessment On After School Programs Essay1192 Words   |  5 Pagesrefugees in Australia in integrating into the Australian education system and how after-school programs helps to rectify these issues. Nadoo (2009) essentially looks at how an after-school homework tutoring program combats the limitations imposed on the refugees with limite d social and cultural capital by the privileged social class’, whose culture and habitus is prioritized. Habitus refers to an individual’s dispositions influenced by external factors, â€Å"which acts as a mediator between structures andRead MoreImplementing After School Programs For The Canadian Federal Government Essay1203 Words   |  5 Pagesrefugees in Australia in integrating into the Australian education system and how after-school programs helps to rectify these issues. Naidoo (2009) essentially looks at how an after-school homework tutoring program combats the limitations imposed on the refugees with limited social and cultural capital by the privileged social class’, whose culture and habitus is prioritized. Habitus refers to an individual’s dispositions influenced by external factors, â€Å"which acts as a mediator between structures andRead MoreEating Disorders : Anorexia Nervosa4434 Words   |  18 Pages 1 1 Psychology of Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia Nervosa is currently viewed by society as an extremely complicated disorder, misunderstood, over looked, and misjudged based on the stigmas of society. People who suffer from eating disorders like Anorexia do not always report the fact they are in living with the disorder because they are ashamed or scared of what might happen to them or what people will say. An individual may also feel that they do not met the exact criteria of Anorexia Nervosa inRead MoreAmeric A Unique Combination Of Many Cultures Essay1671 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica is a unique combination of many cultures. We are a very diverse nation and we represent many different countries throughout our culture. America allows different beliefs and cultures to represent the diversity that this country has. Some people see diversity as an asset, while others see it as a downfall. We have many different religions in the country, which occasionally causes problems. Different races and views of races also cause prob lems, and is a current major issue in America. ChinaRead MoreEssay about Competition Among Fast Food Chains1639 Words   |  7 PagesCompetition Among Fast Food Chains MARKETING INFORMATION NEED FOR THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY To begin with, for the fast food industry around the world, the leading fast food chains; marketing information is wrapped around from convenience location, changing preference, quality of food, pricing of fast food, potential customers, age of the customers, menu selection and diversification and last of all superior service. From marketing perspective, LOCATION for the fast food service to theRead MoreMalnutrition: Nursing Theory and Nutritional Status3325 Words   |  14 PagesSocio Cultural Determinants that Affect Nutritional Status (of elderly above sixty years of age and children below five years of age) in Barangay Banga, Talisay, Batangas Introduction The effects of malnutrition on human performance, health and survival have been the subject of extensive research for several decades and studies show that malnutrition affects physical growth, morbidity, mortality, cognitive development, reproduction, and physical work capacity. Malnutrition is an underlying factor