My friends on the other hand, find many of the things I try repulsing and savage. I see people who have grown up in a vegetarian home, who can not even stand the look of meat. There are other friends I have who were raised with totally ethnic foods, who would never go to Mcdonald's for a hamburger. There are many things in society that tells us what is appropriate and not appropriate to eat. Many people refuse to eat things because of religious reasons, environmental reasons, and ethical reasons. .
When looking at both sides of my family I can see the learned aspects of culture when dealing with food. My mothers side is from the south, and everything they cook is a "down home" meal, and could probably feed a small world country. Now my father on the other hand comes from a family that never cooked, and always went out to eat. When he cooks dinner we usually have something very exotic, because that is what his culture as taught him to cook. Now because they have been married for so many years, they have learned to combine their cultures and live equally in the kitchen. However, when we go to either side of the family for a holiday, you can see the extreme differences in the ways they have been taught and brought up in life.
"In almost all societies, the family meal assumes a central position in the concept "home." (39) I do agree with this statement, and what he discusses about the fact that fast food is encroaching upon the custom of a meal at home with the family. I am actually saddened that the future generations may never know what it means to have a home cooked meal. Cultures are changing, and the new culture being instilled is that there is not enough time to sit down to dinner, and food needs to be eaten on the run. I hope that I will be able to hold down the culture of "dinner", as i was taught, when i finally start a family of my own.
When we look at all of our primary drives, Dirk talks about how they are just as culturally defined as everything else in our lives.
