Eating habits: Taste or Symbol?
Autoethnography is considered to be writing that is ethnographical and autobiographical at the same time. According to Ellis and Bochner (2000), autoethnographies are autobiographies that self-consciously explore the interplay of the introspective, personally engaged self with cultural descriptions mediated through language, history and ethnographic explanation.
I will take this approach to discuss my own personal eating habits; what I consider acceptable to eat, and whether this is an opinion I have developed from my own experiences, or views that are constructed socially and culturally.
In theory, the majority of common land mammals are edible, and also most fish. However, certain animals seem to hold a certain stigma over them, or are considered controversial, and those who eat such foods are adventurous or daring.
Throughout my life, I have not been one of these adventurous or daring individuals; I have only been willing to try food that looks a certain way and is aesthetically pleasing.
I regularly eat chicken and pork, and occasionally beef, which in my opinion are three of the most commonly eaten meats. I have more recently begun to eat more fish, including cod, haddock, mackeral, tuna and salmon, and have tried squid, which seems to be coming increasingly common to eat. Whilst I only eat a small selection of meats, I consider many more to be edible, but I have particular feelings and opinions about some of these.
Animals such as horses, lambs, rabbit and deer, for example, are ones that from a young age, many people have an interest in and will pet, etc. I think this may have initially led to my aversion from eating these animals, and as I have gotten older I have developed my opinions on this matter. Once we learn that these animals produce meats that we eat, it seems this may be a point at which stigma becomes attached for some.
Whilst I may not wish to eat these, I can fully appreciate that many other individuals do and this is perfectly acceptable. However, if in years to come, there were limited amounts of the meats that I prefer, I would consider trying other meats, but after 22 years, my pre-conceptions and feelings towards these may take precedence and I may convince myself that I do not like them. I often feel that if I was unable to eat chicken (the most common meat in my diet) I would prefer to become a vegetarian and eat meat free or meat replacement foods.
How food looks is particular concern to me. For example, if the food on plate plate in any way resembles the animal it came from, I feel uncomfortable to eat it, such as a whole or half chicken. the thought of an animal carcass sat on my plate is particularly unsettling with me, and eating fish then finding I'm chomping on a bone is one sure-fire way to put me off my food.
In terms of society, and ideals held within the society we live in, it seems apparent that people's preferences to eat meats such as chicken, beef, pork, etc. may stem from the advertising and selling methods in shops. these meats are readily available in shops and when walking around the average supermarket, you'd have to look hard for 'different' meats to be advertised.
One major issue raised with this is when we consider the future when we carry on this way. If these meats are advertised most, and purchased more often by people, in the future are these going to be the most readily available if we continue to consume them at the same rate? And if not, are stores going to have to start advertising alternative meats, and people like myself stop turning up our noses to the thought of this?
The alternative? We all become vegetarians and save the animals we have, and consider more than just what we want.
Autoethnography is considered to be writing that is ethnographical and autobiographical at the same time. According to Ellis and Bochner (2000), autoethnographies are autobiographies that self-consciously explore the interplay of the introspective, personally engaged self with cultural descriptions mediated through language, history and ethnographic explanation.
I will take this approach to discuss my own personal eating habits; what I consider acceptable to eat, and whether this is an opinion I have developed from my own experiences, or views that are constructed socially and culturally.
In theory, the majority of common land mammals are edible, and also most fish. However, certain animals seem to hold a certain stigma over them, or are considered controversial, and those who eat such foods are adventurous or daring.
Throughout my life, I have not been one of these adventurous or daring individuals; I have only been willing to try food that looks a certain way and is aesthetically pleasing.
I regularly eat chicken and pork, and occasionally beef, which in my opinion are three of the most commonly eaten meats. I have more recently begun to eat more fish, including cod, haddock, mackeral, tuna and salmon, and have tried squid, which seems to be coming increasingly common to eat. Whilst I only eat a small selection of meats, I consider many more to be edible, but I have particular feelings and opinions about some of these.
Animals such as horses, lambs, rabbit and deer, for example, are ones that from a young age, many people have an interest in and will pet, etc. I think this may have initially led to my aversion from eating these animals, and as I have gotten older I have developed my opinions on this matter. Once we learn that these animals produce meats that we eat, it seems this may be a point at which stigma becomes attached for some.
Whilst I may not wish to eat these, I can fully appreciate that many other individuals do and this is perfectly acceptable. However, if in years to come, there were limited amounts of the meats that I prefer, I would consider trying other meats, but after 22 years, my pre-conceptions and feelings towards these may take precedence and I may convince myself that I do not like them. I often feel that if I was unable to eat chicken (the most common meat in my diet) I would prefer to become a vegetarian and eat meat free or meat replacement foods.
How food looks is particular concern to me. For example, if the food on plate plate in any way resembles the animal it came from, I feel uncomfortable to eat it, such as a whole or half chicken. the thought of an animal carcass sat on my plate is particularly unsettling with me, and eating fish then finding I'm chomping on a bone is one sure-fire way to put me off my food.
In terms of society, and ideals held within the society we live in, it seems apparent that people's preferences to eat meats such as chicken, beef, pork, etc. may stem from the advertising and selling methods in shops. these meats are readily available in shops and when walking around the average supermarket, you'd have to look hard for 'different' meats to be advertised.
One major issue raised with this is when we consider the future when we carry on this way. If these meats are advertised most, and purchased more often by people, in the future are these going to be the most readily available if we continue to consume them at the same rate? And if not, are stores going to have to start advertising alternative meats, and people like myself stop turning up our noses to the thought of this?
The alternative? We all become vegetarians and save the animals we have, and consider more than just what we want.
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