ASB 300: Food and Culture
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Assignment 1 - Food Traditions, Family Identity & Social Structure
Name:
Instructions: Download, fill-in, and submit this form. You must maintain this document’s 1-inch
margins, single-spacing, and 12pt font. Take note of the expected length given for each section.
Please read the instructions given on the course website, and make sure you complete Part
1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.
The Meal
1)
Briefly describe the nature of the major ritual meal in your family that you have chosen
for this assignment. In your description, answer the following questions: What is the significance
of the meal? When and where is it held? Why? Respond in 1-2 paragraphs (~100 words)
Food and Ingredients
2)
Briefly describe the type of foods prepared for the meal and any aspects (such as
ingredients, regional style, preparation style) that are special about the dish/meal. Respond in 1-2
paragraphs (~100 words)
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ASB 300: Food and Culture
Remember to save file as your: LastnameFirstname_1
Meaning & Participants
Please note: In order to receive full credit for this section you must cite at least 3 course sources
in your answers. These sources may be course readings or supplementary videos, but you may
not cite course lecture material as one of your 3 required citations. Of these 3 sources, 2 must be
from the readings and 1 may be from a required video.
3)
Analyze the meaning of the food itself. Address the following questions: What are the
origins of the meal/main dish, either historically or particular to your family? What do the dishes
represent (to you personally, to your family, symbolically, etc)? Answer in 300-500 words, and
make sure to include references to course material (i.e. readings and supplementary videos).
4)
Analyze the participation aspect of the meal. Address the following questions: Who does
the cooking, serving, and cleaning? How does this pattern of participation reflect your family
structure and social relationships? How do food traditions like this one contribute to your family
identity and history? Answer in 400-600 words, and make sure to include references to course
material (i.e. readings and supplementary videos).
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ASB 300: Food and Culture
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References
5)
List the references you cited above in APA format below. For information on how to
use APA style, visit ASU’s library guides: In-text Citations ; Reference List ; Sample References
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Writing Assignment 1: Food Traditions, Family Identity and Social Structure (submit
through this link)
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Attached Files:
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ASB300_Assignment1Template_Spring2014.docx (21.716 KB)
Assignment Overview
The purpose of this assignment is to get you thinking critically about your own family's foodways and what they
could mean from an anthropological perspective. As you have learned in these first two modules, food is about
more than nutritional value. Anthropologists have used the study of food to understand how different cultures
understand their own identity at both macro and micro levels. Furthermore, the growing, purchasing, preparing,
cooking, and serving of food marks social categories. People use food not only to connect with each other, but also
to separate and demarcate themselves from other identities and roles they do not wish to associate with.
In this assignment, you are asked to analyze a major ritual meal in your family from an anthropological
perspective. You may choose any major ritual meal to analyze, EXCEPT for Thanksgiving. This means that you
can choose a meal that your family may make on a religious holiday, a birthday celebration, a weekly family get
together, or any other special meal event or occasion. However, this needs to be a meal that is mostly homecooked (not a meal that you go out for in a restaurant). If you purchase prepared food for this meal that is fine,
but you will have an easier time with your analysis if it is a meal that your family cooks and prepares itself (at
least for the most part). This should not just be an average meal that you eat every day, but rather is a special (i.e.
ritual) meal of some type. You will be answering an array of questions about the meal and will need to include
concepts form the readings, lectures, and videos in the course (at least three) to analyze how food traditions and
foodways contribute to your family identity and social structure.
Note: we recognize that for various reasons, students may not have a family ritual that they want to write about-this is not a problem. Perhaps there is another ritual meal that you experience with a friends group (Taco Tuesday
with the roommates, birthday celebration with friend) that also fits the above criteria. If you have any questions
about whether your idea for the assignment fits what we are looking for, please email your TA describing your ideas.
Instructions
2.
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4.
5.
Watch the assignment overview video above to learn more about the assignment.
View the Assignment 1 Rubric (or click in to the Assignment page) to see how it will be graded.
Download the Assignment 1 Template document below and answer each section based on your knowledge and use of the
readings/lectures/videos.
Name your document LastNameFirstName_1 and submit it through the assignment link above before 11:59pm AZ time on
Thursday, July 12th.
6.
If you have any questions please post to the Hallway Conversations (Module 2 forum). If you need help with your
writing or citation practices, please check out the resources provided in the Writing Help Center tab.
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Required Readings
DeVault, M. (2008) Conflict and deference. In C. Counihan & P. Van Esterik (Eds.) Food and culture: a reader,
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2, 240-258, Routledge.
Carrington, C. (2008). Feeding lesbigay families. In C. Counihan & P. Van Esterik (Eds.) Food and culture: a
reader, 2, 259-288, Routledge.
Wilk, RR. (2008). Real Belizean food. In C. Counihan & P. Van Esterik (Eds.) Food and culture: a reader, 2, 308325, Routledge.
William-Forson, P. (2008). More than just the "Big Piece of Chicken": The power of race, class, and food in
American consciousness. In C. Counihan & P. Van Esterik (Eds.) Food and culture: a reader, 2, 107-118, Routledge.
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Siskind, J. (2002). The Invention of Thanksgiving: A ritual of American nationality. In C. Counihan (Ed.) Food in
the USA: a reader, 41-58. Psychology Press.
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Chapters 5-8 of The Omnivore's Dilemma - Note: you will not be quizzed on The Omnivore's Dilemma reading in
this module's quiz, but we recommend you read these chapters to keep on pace to finish the book in time for our
book club in the final module
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Required Lectures
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Maupin, J. Food and Social Structure [Module 2 video lecture]. Retrieved from ASU Online ASB300 Blackboard.
Maupin, J. Cuisines and Macro Identities [Module 2 video lecture]. Retrieved from ASU Online ASB300 Blackboard.
Maupin, J. Food and Micro Level Identities [Module 2 video lecture]. Retrieved from ASU Online ASB300 Blackboard.
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