Youarewhatyoueat人如其食社会学论文英文原创.docx

1、Youarewhatyoueat人如其食社会学论文英文原创“You are what you eat” (Victor Lindlahr). Does the food that you eat reflect who you are? Or is who you are an effect of what you eat? Using two case studies from your current diet, discuss the relationship between food and identity. 1. Introduction With the progress of

2、globalization, importance of peoples local identity and global identity rapidly become prominent. In a broad sense, local identity means individuals regard themselves as a whole with local communities, and global identity refers to individuals see themselves as a whole with people all around the wor

3、ld1. Based on relevant literature and the researchers own life experience, like other identities, local identity and global identity can co-exist within an individual, which means an individual can own two kinds of identities simultaneously. Food do not just have the function of satisfying ones hung

4、er, due to the differences in religion, geography, economy, culture and so on, food in each place, group or nation has different characteristics, while these uniqueness just reflect peoples unique backgrounds and identities. As Lindlahr points out, “you are what you eat”, these two identities can be

5、 fully and faithfully reflected from ones diet2. In this paper, the researcher argues that food people eat do reflect who they are. Two case studies from the authors current diet will be analyzed to prove the close relationship between food and peoples local/global identity. 2. A case study of Chine

6、se dumping and local identity of Chinese Chinese dumplin gs have the social effect of Chinese peoples identity. It is not just a kind of food, but also belongs to the cultural field in which Chinese construct identity and strengthen social relationship. Material culture and dietary behavior with the

7、 core of dumpling is an important part of Chinese 1Ritzer, George. The McDonaldization of society 6. Pine Forge Press, 2010. 30. 2Lindlahr, Victor Hugo. You Are What You Eat. Borgo Press, 1980. 1. peoples identity. Dumping is a representative cooked wheaten food in China. Since its birth in Han Dyna

8、sty, it has linked closely to Chinese peoples diet3. After over 2000 years of development, the unique folk culture of dumplings has formed. Dumplings effect and position in Chinese dietary culture and folk culture cannot be replaced by any other popular auspicious food4. Characteristics of dumplings

9、 include thin skin, full filling, unique shape, fresh and delicious taste. Raw materials of dumplings include all kinds of meats and vegetables with numerous mixes and matches, plus the cooking process of boiling makes very little nutrient loss, they really conform to the essence of Chinese dietary

10、culture, which is the great combination of color, aroma and taste. As a folk food with a very long history, dumplings enjoy great popularity among Chinese people. During the Spring Festivals, dumplings are also a kind of indispensable delicacy. As a typical northern Chinese, the researcher has a dee

11、p affection for dumping. In the researchers hometown, on every Chinese New Years Eve, families will get together and enjoy a big meal. On that day, making and eating dumplings is an indispensable content of the festival. In order to coordinate the festive air, some conventions about the dumpling hav

12、e come down till today. For instance, in the researchers family, people usually randomly pack a few candies, peanuts, dates and coins in some of the dumplings. Family members who pick candies symbolize they will have a more sweet life in the new year; while those who find peanuts in their dumplings

13、mean they will be healthy and longevous; people who eat dates means they will have new babies soon; if a person finds out a coin in his or her dumpling, it means this person will be very lucky to make a lot of money in the new year. Chinese dumplings and local identity have a very close relationship

14、. Making and eating dumplings has become a significant symbol of Chineses identity, 3Avieli, Nir. Roasted pigs and bao dumplings: festive food and imagined transnational identity in ChineseVietnamese festivals. Asia Pacific Viewpoint 46.3 (2005): 281. while such identity is not just a consensus of C

15、hinese people, but also an important mark to represent traditional and contemporary Chinese culture. Value of the dumpling is its content and form contain values of Chinese society. Firstly, ancient Chinese believed that souls from divinity and their ancestors dominated everything in their life, eve

16、n today, modern Chinese still think these souls can at least bless them5. Therefore, people actively hold all types of ritual activities. They think gods and ancestors will certainly like what they like, so they usually consecrate much food during ritual activities. As the dumpling is a delicious cu

17、isine, it appears at almost all ritual occasions. Such exchange seems to be equal and reasonable to Chinese, now that they give gods and ancestors the best food, gods and ancestors will in turn give them wealth and happiness. Secondly, the dumpling is a carrier of emotional transmission in Chinese p

18、eoples social contact. When people treat guests, they usually use delicious food to express their sincerity to friendship. Or in other words, a plate of hot and tasty dumplings is enough to fully express peoples deep friendship, and there is no need for any language. This is because most Chinese do

19、not like to use direct words to show their affections, so they just adopt this implicit way6. While the “inclusiveness” implied in dumpling seems to be more appropriate to show their inner world. As a result, the dumpling is an ideal carrier for emotional exchange. Such implicit exchange way may be

20、one of the unique emotional expression ways of Chinese nation. Thirdly, the dumpling is also an ideal form to show Chinese peoples aesthetic view. A feature of Chinese folk activities is the groupment7. For example, the Spring Festival is a great opportunity for family reunion. When people use the d

21、umpling to express ideological content, they also make judgments on the look of this carrier. Though during that time, dumplings are not artworks, families 5Mintz, Sidney W., and Christine M. Du Bois. The anthropology of food and eating. Annual review of anthropology (2002): 100. 6Anderson, Eugene N

22、ewton. Everyone eats: Understanding food and culture. NYU Press, 2014. 15-16. still tend to use their own aesthetic standard to judge them, such as whether the shape is elegant, whether the making method is exquisite, whether the taste is first-class, whether the cooking is proper. Unconsciously, th

23、ese activities also become good changes for people to show their cooking talent. Sometimes, even the quality of dumpling making becomes a key part to show peoples pious mind for blessings from gods and ancestors. In the researchers families, all family members would participate in the family contest

24、 of dumpling making, people always get a lot fun through it. Such unmeant competition is actually an initiative action to create beauty, as well as a reason for the long-lasting prosperity of Chinese dietary culture8. Moreover, it also reveals Chinese peoples pure and unadorned aesthetic taste and t

25、heir consistent pursuit for a beautiful life. The researcher has come to Australia for over three years and got used to local festivals, however the significance of Chinese festivals becomes even larger for him. The Spring Festival is still looked forward by the researcher every year. On Chinese New

26、 Years Eve, even if the researcher could not got back to China, he still held a big party with his Chinese friends in Australia and making dumplings was a vital activity. All in all, dumplings on New Years Eve are a symbol of Chinese identity. It always reminds the researcher that no matter where yo

27、u are, you are always a descendant of the Chinese nation. 3. A case study of McDonalds and global identity When the researcher went to Australia for the first time, the researcher had no idea what to eat because of the huge differences between Chinese food and Australian food. The researcher finally

28、 chose to have meals at a nearby McDonalds restaurant because McDonalds is highly standardized around the world. There is no script there, staff do everything totally with accurate machines and the operation manual. Besides, when they serve customers, they also use a full set of standardized skills.

29、 Therefore, customers would feel very relaxed in any McDonalds restau rant in the world because they are accustomed to “routines” of this international fast food chain9. After the researcher got used to the life in Australia, the researcher still visits McDonalds very often, mostly during busy days.

30、 McDonalds always serve food within one minute, so the researcher could save much time in waiting. Besides, packages of these food are very simple, so the researcher could finish the meal quickly. In a word, the researcher believes that McDonalds really provides people much convenience in this fast-

31、paced society. Like some other fast food brands like KFC, Burger King and Pizza Hut, it has become an important part in modern urban peoples diet, especially the young group. Moreover, it also reflects peoples global identity in the context of globalization. There is no wonder that the Economist onc

32、e developed a set of “Big Mac indexes” to measure the price level in all countries10. It is because McDonalds is indeed a symbol of globalization. Almost every country and region has its chain restaurants and the tastes are almost the same in each chain restaurant. For tourists, immigrants and overs

33、eas students, it may be the most familiar place in the strange environment. This is maybe the largest achievement of McDonalds during its 74 ye ars of history11. Food is a core of an individuals identity, which is usually closely connected with family, culture and nation. As a foreign heterogeneous element to