Sociology of Food - Social Determinants of Health And Food Choices - Assessment Answer

Sociology of Food Assignment

Assignment Task

Sociology of Food

Introduction

Our physiological needs are the fundamental drivers of the choices we make on what to eat and drink so that we ensure that we meet the daily nutritional requirements. There are other diverse aspects which humans use to choose their diet which include social, economic and environmental factors. Every person makes choices based on their tastes and preferences, but the selection is often influenced by the demographic characteristic of the human such as culture, race, religion, income and age among other factors (Gregory, 2000). The theory of cultural relativism states that every culture has their way of doing things which is unique and not applicable to any other culture. This study aims at analysing the various social and cultural outcomes which define the social, economic and environmental freedom of an individual’s choice of diet.

Social and cultural factors affecting dietary choices

Social factors include the social class, social context, and social, economic status. The social class gives people a sense of pride which makes them prefer more expensive dishes with more complexity than those of lower class status. Socioeconomic status of an individual affects the affordability and accessibility of food which is dictated by the living and working conditions. The pricing plays a more important role in the dietary choices of low-income earners than the nutritional benefits (Gregory, 2000). Low-income earners may go for high cholesterol foods just because they are cheap and affordable. Some doctors link this to the shorter life expectancy of low-income earners (Julier, 2000). Social factors such as education will determine how a person places value on certain diets and tends to avoid some foods since they are aware of future implications. A person acutely aware of the consequences of taking too much liver diet will understand that the Vitamin A in the liver is not used immediately but stored in the body up to when it is needed. This means that overconsumption of liver can lead to too much build-up of Vitamin A which is unhealthy (Gregory, 2000). The social context of an individual may influence their choice of diet since individual behave differently according to their context. The modelling theory states that people make dietary choices based on what the others are doing (Julier, 2000). The theory of self-facilitation says that people tend to behave differently in a different situation like some individuals can eat more when they have company and less when alone while some others will tend to eat less when there are a lot of people. The theory of impression management states that some people will fear to create a gluttonous impression and will, therefore, limit their diet to protect their reputation(Gregory,2000). This idea is facilitated by the Feedback loop model which states that individuals will tend to change behaviors when they know they are being watched. Social factors such as age and gender are social factors which affect our dietary choices due to physiological and nutritional requirements.

Culture, on the other hand, defines how things in a certain community are done, it may be considered a taboo to eat a particular type of food, and therefore an individual from that culture will refrain from taking such prohibited food (Lake, Hyland, Rugg-Gunn, Mathers & Adamson, 2009). Some cultures like the Islam do not consume pork meat while the Indians do not consume meat at all since their religions which are part of their culture do not allow them to. The culture of people also dictates how certain foods are prepared and which additives are allowed in the diet.

Comparison of the various cultures and social classes which affect diet

By living together, people develop more accurate methods of choosing food, cooking, serving and even eating. You may find that in China chopsticks are more common than the forks and knives in other parts of the world because it is part of their heritage. For this reason, the foods associated with chop sticks are more likely to be consumed by people in China like a bowl of rice and noodles. It goes without saying that culture affects the choice of the diet of a people and also how the food is prepared and served. The traditions, beliefs, and values hold some foods unfit for human consumption (Gregory,2000). As we have already seen the Muslim culture prohibits the consumption of pork while the Indian culture does not allow the consumption of any meat on the basis that it is unethical to take the life of another even if it is an animal. The US cultures are more evolved and emphasize more on independence and diversity of choice of diet. The US people can eat just about anything since their culture does not condemn the consumption of any food. Population in the US have a culture of drinking coffee in the morning holding mugs while in places like England people will be holding cups of Earl Gray Tea to work (Montoya, Salinas, Barroso, Mitchell-bennett, Reininger, 2011). The Japanese people don’t have prohibited foods but emphasize the need to uphold tradition and strong relationships, and this makes some of the traditional foods a requirement for every family since it signifies a strong correlation between members(Julier,2000). Due to civilization as stated above, the close ties of tradition and beliefs in the American society has led to freedom to choose between a variety of foods. The only culture guiding the Americans is the scientific research which gives a minimum daily requirement of various nutrients. Due to environments with enhanced technology and research developments, there has been an evolution of diet supplements. To meet the daily requirement the Americans and most of Australians use supplements and eat high sugar and fat foods served in fast restaurants. Also, the economies are much busier and the time constraints may limit the types of foods consumed. The African cultures are very conservative when it comes to diet and mostly choose to stick to the traditional foods like sorghum, millet, yams, potatoes and meals involving corn (Gregory, 2000).

My diet compared to my big sisters

My big sister Sally wed to a Muslim husband last year and is now living with the husband's family. There has had a rapid increase in her weight for the last six months, and this has been attributed to the changes in social context, environment, economic status and culture. She only became expectant four months ago, but the weight add-on was visible even before the pregnancy. Our mother is a single mom, and when we lived with her, we had a limited choice of diet because we did not have the luxury to choose. We always went for what was cheap in the market even when our nutritional needs were not fully met. Ever since the marriage, her social status has been upgraded, and she can now eat more nutritious foods which show the reason behind the drastic gain in weight. The Muslim culture holds value in healthy eating and also believes in adding a lot of spices to food (Julier, 2000). Last month during an official visit she refused to take some wine on the basis that it was alcoholic and it was not allowed in her new culture. She also declined to make a meal from meat from unknown origin since she said it was a risk for Haram which would bring misfortune to her baby. My sister’s family, for example, loves to consume fish straight from the fisherman as opposed to refrigerated fish. They take dinner together and whenever one of them is not at the table they wait, and this has encouraged her to eat even more. The moral support she is receiving especially now that she is pregnant is overwhelming and helps her peace of mind which in turn influences her dietary intake.

I am still living with my mother in the US, and we still have to save to pay for our fees and rent and also pay other bills. This spending leaves very little for us to spend on food and most of the times we take very light meals though we never go hungry. The culture in our neighbourhood is not healthy and does not define for us what we need to eat or drink. We eat what we want and are only limited by our social-economic disadvantage. The mood in our home is always filled with distress since our younger sibling has been unwell and we couldn’t afford her medication until our new in-laws chose to take care of the medical bill six months ago. She’s not entirely recovered, and so my mom maintains silence and sometimes cannot even put food in her mouth. This mood is not very accommodative and has affected our dietary behaviours.

The theory of social facilitation states that people are more likely to eat when they have the company of others who are also eating like in the case of my sister and her new family. The fact that my mother and sister eat very little contributes to my lack of appetite. My big sister, however, is more likely to eat since the others are eating and there are no psychological disturbances. The theory of moderation also states that individuals tend to mirror the behaviour of the others surrounding them. The theory of Ironic thinking says that we tend to think more of that which we are trying to avoid and my little sisters' long time illness has for long dominated our minds and clouds our ability to focus on the other main events of our lives like eating. My big sister, on the other hand, has fresh thoughts of her pregnancy, and she is overwhelmed by the fact that she is soon becoming a mother

Questionnaire:

Me: How much weight have you gained since you moved out of the house?

Sally: I have gained about 15 kg

Me: Do you think that the main reason for your weight gain is due to changes in culture or context?

Sally: I think both of them have contributed since in my new Muslim family we have a diverse variety to choose from, and there is a better mood than back home?

Me: so are you suggesting that the psychology affects diet or is it just hunger?

Yes, I believe there is also a psychology part that is played when we have an appetite, the mood back home is filled with remorse and contemplation. I couldn’t bring myself to eat when the mother refused to eat.

Me: Is the new family friendly?

Sally: Yes, they are very kind and always ask me how I am feeling. We take food from one plate and whenever one of us is missing from the table, we wait for them to come.

Me: so does it mean that you have forgotten the problems back home?

Sally: no I have not, I have an assurance that our sister received treatment and she will be okay, so I tend to worry less.

Me: what laws don’t you like?

Sally: There is so much emphasis on the type of meat one consumes based on the method used to slaughter the animal. It is very hard to buy meat from the store and establish how the animal was killed.

Me: what are there any dietary restrictions?

Sally: They totally prohibit the consumption of blood and pork and some fish species.

Me: what can you say is the difference in our eating habits?

Sally: I can state that the significant difference is the fact that our social, economic status is higher and so I may be able to eat more nutritious food than you .also my context supports healthier eating since there is less distress.

Me: given a chance to change something in the home, what would it be?

First of all, I would ensure that the standards of living are uplifted and then ensure that you people are more happy and content with life.