Fisher1

TheChallengesofWomeninCulinaryArts

AllisonFisher

SeniorCapstonePaper
Mr.Cahoon
28March2016

Fisher2

Everycareerfieldhasitsdarksecretsthatnoonewantstotalkabout,eventhebestfields
thatapersoncouldgointo.Manypeopledonotunderstandthattherewillalwaysbesetbacks
andproblemswithinacareerfieldandthattheyneedtoovercomethem.Theonecareerfieldthat
noonesuspectshaddarksecretsandproblemsistheculinaryindustry.Oneofthedarksecretsis
thatthiscareerisdifficultforwomen.
Acareerinthefieldofculinaryartsishardforwomen
pursuebecausetheyhavetochoosebetweentheirfamilyandtheircareer,thereisextreme
stressthatcouldleadtomentalandphysicalproblems,andthereisevidentsexismwithin
theindustry.
Oneofthedifficultiesthatwomenhavewhentheytrytopursueacareerinthefieldof
culinaryisthattheyhavetochoosebetweentheirfamilyortheircareer.Whensomeoneworksin
thiscareer,theymustbeabletoworkweekends,longhours,andatnight.Mostbusinessisdone
Thursday,Friday,andSaturdaynights,whichiswhenmostfamilieswouldgettheirfamilytime.
Thisdecisionisextremelyimportantinthisfieldbecausewomennormallytaketheroletoraise
childrenintheaveragefamily,butifshedecidedtobeapartofacareerthatdemandsagreat
dealofhertime,shewillnotbeabletohaveagoodfamilylife.AstudywasdonebyDeborah
HarrisandPattiGiuffre(45),thatconcludedthatwomenhaveahardertimenegotiatingtheir
familiesandcareer.Theyperformedthisstudybyinterviewing33differentwomenwhoworked
orcurrentlyinvolvedintheculinaryindustry.Intheresultsofthisstudy,itwasseenthatmany
womenfeltliketheydidnothaveafamilylife,theyfeltliketheycouldnotprovidetheir
commitmenttoeithertheirfamilyorcareer,ortheyfeltguilt.Withthisstudyasevidence,itis
seenthatwomenfeelliketheyneedtobetherefortheirfamily,buthavinganintensecareer,like
acareerintheculinaryindustry,cankeepthemaway.Withasecondlookatthestudy,someof

Fisher3

thewomencameupwithwaystosolveconflictbetweentheirfamilyandcareer(Harrisand
Giuffre,3345).Thethingsthesewomencameupwithwasthattheydecidednottohave
children,theylefttheirjobinthekitchen,ortheychangedhowtheyworkedorwhattheydidat
home.Thisclearlyshowsthatitisextremelydifficultforwomentobeintheculinaryindustry
becausetheyhavetochoosebetweentheirfamilyandcareer.Mostwomenwhogointothis
careerdecidenottohaveafamilylifebecausetheyknowthatitwillnotwork.Theyfeellikeif
theyweretohaveafamily,theywouldnotfeelliketheyaredoingtheirpartbecausetheymay
notbeabletobecomethemotherrolethatwomenaresincetheywouldbeatworkmostoftheir
time.
Anotheroneofthemaindifficultiesthatwomenfacewhenbeingapartoftheculinary
industryisthatthereisextremestressthattheyhavetodealwiththatcouldleadtomentalor
physicalissues.Inthisfield,apersonwillbebusyforthewholedayandtheymustcomplete
manythingsinthatday.Normallythereareorderdates,thiscanberelatedtoaduedate,and
itemsmustbecompletedbythatdate.Alotofthetime,thetimetocompletetheseordersare
veryshort,sopeoplemayeasilystressaboutgettingtheorderdoneontime.SarahWaller,an
instructoratKentCareerTechnicalCenterforthehospitalityproject,answeredthequestionif
thereisextremestressinthisindustry.ShestatedYes!Verystressfulindustryyouneedtobe
readyforanything(Waller).Walleralsoconcludedthatshefeltstressonthejobdaily.Shewas
nottheonlypersoninthisindustrythatconcludedthis.JoannaCarlson,thepastrychefofthe
UniversityClubofGrandRapids.Shestated,Yes,youdefinitelyneedtobeabletohandle
stress,maybenotextremestress,buttherewillalwaysbeafairamountofpressureplacedon
youespeciallyduringbusypointsofthedaywhichvariesdependingontheplace(Carlson).

Fisher4

Bothofthesewomen,whohaveworkedintheindustryformorethanayear,declaredthatthis
industrycanbestressful.Whentheywereaskedabouttheirmoststressfultimesinthekitchen,
Sarahstatedthatshedealtwithitwhenevershewasinvolvedinawedding,holidays,orabuffet
(Waller),andJoannasaidthatshedealtwiththemoststressaroundMother'sDayandEaster
(Carlson).Itisseenthatifanypersonwantedtobeinvolvedinthiscareerthattheyneedtobe
handlethestressthatisinvolved.Intheendofeachinterview,bothwomensaidthatifaperson
couldnothandlestress,thentheyshouldnotbeinvolvedintheirindustry(WallerCarlson).
Thelastdifficultythatmakesithardforwomentopursueacareerintheculinary
industryisthatthereisevidentsexism.Thisalwaysthrowspeopleoffbecausemostpeople
believethatwomenbelonginthekitchenbasedonhistory.Itmaynotseemlikeit,butthe
culinaryindustryisdominatedbymen.StephanieKonkol,theauthorof
SomeonesInThe
Kitchen,WheresDinah?GenderedDimensionsOfTheProfessionalCulinaryWorld
,wrote,
First,asawomaninculinary,Iwasintheminority.Themajorityofstudentsinmyclasseswere
men,probably85%percent(4).Thisishardforsomepeopletobelievebecausemostofthe
domesticatedcookingisdonebywomen,butintheindustry,menthinkthatwomencannot
handleit.Duringherinterview,Sarahansweredthequestionaboutiftherewassexisminthe
fieldwith,Yes!Girlsneedtobeverytoughinthisindustry(Waller).Sarahhashadmany
yearsofexperiencewithinthisindustryandshehadhershareofsexismwhileworking.She
stated,Guysthinktheyarethebossofyoubecausetheyaremen(Waller).Femalesare
normallyseenasweakerthanmenbecauseoftheirphysicalattributes,whichcanmakemen
thinkthattheyarenotsuitedforthisindustry.Themainreasonwhytherearemoremalesthan
femalesinthisindustrysimplycomesdowntothatmaleswerefirstacceptedinthisindustryand

Fisher5

madeitalmostimpossibleforwomentobepartof.RosaliePlatzerwrotethatmalescreatedan
advancedfoodculturethatitgottoapointwhereitwasnearlyimpossibleforwomentoreach
(Platzer,66).Itisatthepointnowwherewomenhaveenteredtheindustry,butbecauseofwhat
thehistoryofthisindustryis,womenaretreatedless.Thismaybethelargestchallengeawoman
mustovercomeifshewantstobepartofthisindustrybecausetherewillalwaysbemaleswho
willlookdownandtreatwomenasunderdogsbecausetheycanbephysicallyweakerandsince
theyhavenotbeenintheindustryaslong.
Throughoutthepastyears,womenhaveenteredtheculinaryindustry,buttheyarefaced
withmanydifficulties.Ithasshownthatthiscareerishardforwomentopursuebecausethey
havetochoosebetweenhavingafamilyorhavingagoodcareer,theymusthavetohandle
extremestresswhileworking,andthatthereissexismbecausethisindustryisdominatedby
males.Therehavebeenwomenwhohavebeenabletoovercomethesechallenges,sothisshows
thateventhoughtherearehardchallengesinthisindustry,theycanbeovercome.

Fisher6

References
Carlson,Joanna."SeniorCapstoneInterview."Emailinterview.23Mar.2016.
Harris,DeborahA.,andPattiGiuffre."GenderIssues."
"ThePriceYouPay":HowFemale
ProfessionalChefsNegotiateWorkandFamily
27.1(2010):2752.Web.25Mar.2016.
Konkol,StephanieM."Someone'sintheKitchen,Where'sDinah?GenderedDimensionsofthe
ProfessionalCulinaryWorld."Thesis.DePaulUniversity,2013.Web.26Mar.2016.
Pierce,StellaJean."KitchenCache:TheHiddenMeaningofGenderandCookingin
TwentiethCenturyAmericanKitchens."Thesis.AppalachianStateUniversity,2010.
Web.26Mar.2016.
Waller,Sarah."SeniorCapstoneInterview."Personalinterview.23Mar.2016.