Dominant Discourses Regarding Contemporary Foodways in the U.S.

Food is the most important component of everyday life. We look to food as just something that is supposed to be taken in 3 times a day, and how you take it in depends on what’s surrounding you. Now in days we have a society that has now figured out the complexities of food, the negative and positive affects of what the average American seems to love and be most drawn to. For example if you put a green market poster and a fast-food poster and asked an American to go for the one they want, they would be drawn to the fast-food. A Discourse is a purposeful discussion or debate about a certain subject. In a discourse you have a Dominant discourse and a Marginal discourse. A dominant discourse is the ruling point of view on the subject, whereas the marginal discourse is a viewpoint that less follow. The dominant discourse that we face now regarding food ways in the United States is food that benefits the human body should be essential in the daily practices of every American.

The dominant discourse consist of scientists, nutritionists, the news, magazines, newspapers and radio in which have all contributed to influencing the how most of the population sees food. Were all basically puppets that are controlled by the puppeteer that is the dominant discourse that is enforced on us on a daily basis. Referring to the article from the New York Times "Told to Eat Its Vegetables, America Orders Fries
" by Kim Severson shows the efforts of the government and people pushing to better the eating way of the American people. "Despite two decades of public health initiatives, stricter government dietary guidelines, record growth of farmers’ markets and the ease of products like salad in a bag, Americans still aren’t eating enough vegetables." this shows that government officials, Michelle Obama, health centers and more have pushed to try and help the United States problem of obesity and unhealthiness. If one tactic on preventing obesity or unhealthiness doesn’t work or show results than we will be persuaded into trying another one.

In an article from the New York Times, "Fixing a World That Fosters Fat" by Natasha Singer". The name for the title speaks for itself. How could you fix the mentality of people who live in a society where unhealthy food and bad habits have been engraved in our minds in a variety of strategic ways. It states in the article," If you take a changed person and put them in the same environment, they are going to go back to the old behaviors,” says Dr. Edington, who has a doctorate in physical education. “If you change the culture and the environment first, then you can go back into a healthy environment and, when you get change, it sticks.” Dr. Edington explains that our bad habits will not change over time because we have lived in a manipulative and unhealthy environment all our lives. Now were being looked to make an effort and change. our culture is now trying to instill  healthy through numerous ways like TV shows and how to cook "green food" cook books so we could reach that point where eating healthy is the normal thing to do.

Families Foodways

When asking my mom what she was accustom to food wise when growing up it seemed to me that there was some significant differences and some similarities. The food that my mother grew up eating is similar to the food I eat today because were apart of a strong Hispanic culture. For example if I were to think of one food that is usually cooked at my household I would have to say its rice and beans. Usually in a household the mother or female figure is the one stirring up the pot in the kitchen for the family at the dinner table just like now in days. But eating at the dinner table every night and having a rich traditional family dinner isn’t something that’s instilled on us as a family today.


I remember hearing stories my grandmother use to tell me about how she grew up. She told me that back in Puerto Rico before she came to the United States the food use to taste better. Everything was made around her, that life wasn’t simple, life wasn’t great but it was good. Their was no buying from the local supermarket, their was vegetables, chickens and more in your backyard and all you had to do was take your time and prepare it. If you were to go to another country you would see that lots of money can be also seen as having a lot of crops. These crops are what many survive on because money isn’t something that can be spent on food when it can be grown. This is very different from how we are today as a family and modern day culture.


As generation passed on the amount of food, variety of food and how it’s eaten has changed due to present day culture and economic class. There’s no need to proportion the food or the meat or whatever to each member of the family because now were financially able to do so, unlike my grandmother growing up. We could just go to the supermarket and look to feed again.  we could also stoop to just buying an occasional or regular day meal outside on the sidewalk and buy Chinese food, Thai food, Wendys or any type of food were accustomed to seeing and wanting a new taste and most of all BUYING.

Fastfood VS Green market

Fast food is so successful because it’s the most convenient for many. The word "Fast" is what’s appealing to because time is precious. The amount of fast food restaurants around us make it popular and people become more and more influenced by it everyday. The visualizations and the advertisements that come from fast food attract people. you don’t tell individuals exactly what there eating which many should pay attention to more but instead just use there efforts to put good looking and tasteful food for a cheap price. Than you have the green market which will advertise and promote theirs foods in a total different way.  By having samples for the consumers and giving them a menu that’s made for people to read something that many in fast-food restaurants don’t do. It gives you every single thing about that food, like its daily supply of nutrients and all this runs by your eye before you hit the register.


Everyone knows that Fast Food is not the healthiest of foods but still so hard to say no to it. Adding bacon to a cheeseburger would result in more buyers at this isn’t surprising. The average American would be hypnotized by an image like that, not caring about where it comes from or the unhealthiness of it just the taste. McDonalds and other fast food restaurants are now forced to put the calorie totals on food menus because of the problem of obesity. Even with this I and everyone else are following the "American tradition". Green market is for the purpose of reaching out and helping out. It gives off a new fresh type of energy and McDonalds is the usual. Green market represents using the environment in a positive way and helping those who live in it.

Food

Food is one of the most important aspects of our world. People depend on food because it’s what gives you physical and mental energy to keep up with your everyday life of survival. But in our community in society our supply and demand is different from others. Every block you walk on your bound to see a fast food restaurant, that is cheap and “Fast” and that’s what’s appealing to many because theirs not a lot of businesses that endorse the natural components of food(organic) or vegetarian food. It’s appealing to many because it’s the most convenient. My priorities compare because I look to eat what’s most delightful at that time, if it’s good, not as expensive and if it’s able to be well digested. Also living in a Hispanic household where stuffing your child’s face is apart of loving my priorities in food are altered by what I see and what I’m use to and overtime I look to change this.

  

Food is very sacred. Most households in our society have social practices where everyone must have a meal in the morning time which is called breakfast, during the day (lunch) and most important out of all is dinner. Dinner time is where families look for food to bring their families closer together at the dinner table. You always hear the same saying, “I have to be home for dinner” and this is because the dinner table is where you eat good food, elaborate on your day and spend time with your family.

 The ideal meal to me is an appetizer like a salad, than comes a meat and a side, a beverage and lastly a dessert. Everywhere you go that is the course of your meal for that time and to me it should consist of what ever you want at that time. We take advantage of the food we eat on a daily basis because we don’t see that animals are killed from it, it’s manufactured poorly, causes diseases in some cases and more. But like myself I don’t look at the fault in what we eat. My typical meal fails to meet these standards because I eat what I want. Some eat their vegetables; I eat what I crave and what taste good.