September 2020
Have you ever considered how much of your day is centered around what you eat? Is your day a random mix of “on the go” or home cooked meals? Who do you share your meals with? Do you have “food/drink rituals” that you practice every day? These are ideas that Roland Barthes explores in his essay “Toward A Psychological Consumption of Contemporary Food Consumption”. Around the world there are many unique ways in which food is the bridge between communication and nutrition.
Food has the potential to represent different functions as well as units. One might look at certain foods as being masculine or feminine, which leads to to the ability to market or advertise towards certain demographics. (Barthes p. 17) Sharing a meal is something that has the potential to bring people together, perhaps on a much deeper interpersonal connection. It is not necessarily traditional to invite a new acquaintance or coworker to your home for for the first meeting or date for dinner. These experiences are generally reserved for more intimate settings. Just like food connects us in different ways socially, food also mold our societies and how we live our everyday lives.. Much of what we eat is based on our attitudes, our social class, religion, or even our jobs. Do we bring our lunch from home or do we eat at the food truck during lunch?
One of my daily rituals is drinking a cup of tea. I enjoy have a variety of different teas and I look at them as bringing medicinal value to my life. Some are good for digestions, some are good for relaxation, and others are good for wakefulness. At different times during my day I am thankful for them all.
Barthes, R. (2008). Ch. 1/Toward a Psychosociology of Contemporary Food Consumption. In 931913937 729840234 C. Counihan & 931913938 729840234 P. V. Esterik (Authors), Food and culture: A reader (pp. 1-20). New York: Routledge.
Sun Hugs 