Blog Post 9/12

Summary of Joseph’s Article 

In her article “Feeding an Identity – Gender, Food, and Survival”, Norma Joseph argues that there is a strong connection between food and community as well as religion. She also indicates that gender plays an important role in the realm of food.

According to Joseph, patterns of food shows cultural identity, religious restriction and rituals, and connection between generations. Food is a way for a group of people to preserve their ethical or national identity and tradition. It allows people embrace the past while living in present.

In the realm of religion, food elaborately prepared for rituals or feasts is sacred. Food has the magic power to strengthen community as well as diminish differences. In Jewish culture, food is an indispensable element of its heritage.

Food is also closely related to women’s gender identity. Women play a significant role in preparing food and serving it. Food production is a domain of women’s control, and it is women who render food its power.

The understanding of food and its relationship with community, culture, religion, and gender has changed in history. At first, food was looked as an artifact rather than a treasure of human civilization. However, later researches on food testify food’s connection with social activities, such as immigration, religious practice, and modernization. Women’s role in food production and their status in society also gain more attention in recent studies, and has been recognized.

Food is not only our basic living requirement, it also has supreme value in society, community, religion, and gender identity.