Culture suppresses our instinctive urges, instead favoring rituals and codes; it devalues our subjective, inner lives so as to maintain the primacy of the rules of behavior that are imposed from the outside. Where there is a strong external culture in a society there is naturally a strong sense of conformity. Most members of society adhere to its norms, and the more elaborate the codes, forms, rituals, etc. of a society, the more dramatic the effort required to break away from them. (Western literature until 1945 was inspired by -- as much as by any other circumstance, I am convinced -- the dramatic possibilities offered to the imagination by individuals struggling against the traditions, hierarchies, and religious tenets of the societies in which they happened to live.)
In this country we are embarking on an experiment in which we are leading our lives with only the minimum of cultural norms needed to hold a technically advanced society together. The results so far have been disastrous generally, but here we will focus on the impact of dismantling our national culture on the consumption of food.
There are no longer any restraints about what may be eaten and when. It is socially acceptable to eat the most dreadful food one can imagine at all points during the day, while engaged in practically any activity. These relatively new norms have spread through every part of society, with little regard to wealth or even education.
The public health consequences of living without, in essence, any rules having to do with eating have been well documented. I am unfortunately not optimistic about addressing the food-related health issues that beset us, because the cultural structures that would discipline and refine our eating are largely absent. The notion that eating is a highly civilized act is one that our society has roundly rejected.
Proof that how we satisfy our hunger is of no importance can be seen everywhere. Convenience and availability the greatest virtue food can possess. Again, it would be wrong to think that the most favored groups of society do not also hold this view to some extent.
I applaud the efforts of those who are reintroducing good food and eating practices back into American life. That they have not made significant inroads beyond the upper-middle class does not in any way invalidate these efforts. I will strive to remain hopeful that an authentic American food culture will one day rise out of the ashes.
In this country we are embarking on an experiment in which we are leading our lives with only the minimum of cultural norms needed to hold a technically advanced society together. The results so far have been disastrous generally, but here we will focus on the impact of dismantling our national culture on the consumption of food.
There are no longer any restraints about what may be eaten and when. It is socially acceptable to eat the most dreadful food one can imagine at all points during the day, while engaged in practically any activity. These relatively new norms have spread through every part of society, with little regard to wealth or even education.
The public health consequences of living without, in essence, any rules having to do with eating have been well documented. I am unfortunately not optimistic about addressing the food-related health issues that beset us, because the cultural structures that would discipline and refine our eating are largely absent. The notion that eating is a highly civilized act is one that our society has roundly rejected.
Proof that how we satisfy our hunger is of no importance can be seen everywhere. Convenience and availability the greatest virtue food can possess. Again, it would be wrong to think that the most favored groups of society do not also hold this view to some extent.
I applaud the efforts of those who are reintroducing good food and eating practices back into American life. That they have not made significant inroads beyond the upper-middle class does not in any way invalidate these efforts. I will strive to remain hopeful that an authentic American food culture will one day rise out of the ashes.
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