LeeHighSchool

TheChallengesofWomeninCulinaryArts

AllisonFisher
SeniorCapstonePaper
Mr.Cahoon
18April2016


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AllisonFisher
Mr.Cahoon
SeniorCapstonePaper
18April2016
TheChallengesofWomeninCulinaryArts
Everycareerfieldhasitsdarksecretsthatnoonewantstotalkabout,eventhebest,thata
personcouldjoin.Manypeopledonotunderstandthattherewillalwaysbesetbacksand
problemswithinacareerfieldandthattheyneedtoovercomethem.Theonecareerfieldthatno
onesuspectshaddarksecretsandchallengesistheculinaryindustry.Oneofthedarksecretsis
thatthisprofessionisalmostunattainableforwomen.
Acareerinculinaryartsishardfor
womentopursuebecauseoflifestylechoice,extremestress,andsexism.
Oneofthedifficultiesthatwomenhavewhentheytrytopursueacareerinthefieldof
culinaryisthattheyhavetochoosebetweentheirfamilyortheircareer.Whensomeoneworksin
thisoccupation,theymustworkweekends,longhours,andatnight.Thebusiestdaysare
Thursday,Friday,andSaturdaynights,whichiswhenmostfamilieswouldgettheirfamilytime.
Thisdecisionisnecessaryinthisfieldbecausewomenordinarilytaketheroletoraisechildrenin
theaveragefamily,butifshedecidedtojoinacareerthatdemandsalargeamountofhertime,
shewouldnotbeabletohaveapleasantfamilylife.DeborahHarrisandPattiGiuffreconducted
astudy(HarrisandGiuffre,45)thatconcludedthatwomenhaveahardertimenegotiatingtheir
familiesandcareer.Theyperformedthisstudybyinterviewing33differentwomenwhoworked
orarecurrentlyinvolvedintheculinaryindustry.Intheresultsofthisstudy,itcouldbeseenthat
manywomenfeltliketheydidnothaveafamilylife,theintervieweesfeltliketheycouldnot


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providetheircommitmenttoeithertheirfamilyorcareerortheyfeltguiltwiththeirdecision.
Withthisstudyasevidence,itisseenthatwomenfeelliketheyneedtobetherefortheirfamily,
buthavinganintensivecareer,likeoneintheculinaryindustry,cankeepthemaway.Witha
secondlookatthestudy,someofthewomencameupwithwaystosolvetheconflictbetween
theirfamilyandcareer(HarrisandGiuffre,3345).Thethingsthesewomencameupwithwas
thattheydecidednottohavechildren,lefttheirjobinthekitchen,orchangedhowtheyworkor
whattheydoathome.Thisshowsthatitisimmenselychallengingforwomentobeinthe
culinaryindustrybecausetheyhavetochoosebetweentheirfamilyandcareer.Mostwomen
whogointothisprofessiondecidenottohaveafamilylifebecausetheyknowthatitwillnot
work.Theyfeellikeiftheyweretohaveafamily,theywouldnotfeelliketheyaredoingtheir
partbecausetheymaynotbeabletobecomethemotherrolethatwomenaresincetheywouldbe
atworkmostoftheirtime.
Anotheroneofthemaindifficultiesthatwomenfacewhenbeingapartoftheculinary
industryisthatthereisextremestressthattheyhavetodealwiththatcouldleadtomentalor
physicalissues.Inthisfield,apersonwillbebusyforthewholeday,andtheymustcomplete
manythingsinthatday.Normallythereareorderdates,thiscanberelatedtoaduedate,and
itemsmustbecompletedbythatday.Thetimetofulfiltheseordersareusuallyveryshort,so
peoplemayeasilystressaboutgettingtheorderdoneontime.SarahWaller,aninstructoratKent
CareerTechnicalCenterforthehospitalityproject,answeredthequestionifthereisextreme
stressinthisindustry.ShestatedYes!Verystressfulindustryyouneedtobereadyfor
anything(Waller).Walleralsoconcludedthatshefeltstressonthejobdaily.Shewasnotthe
onlypersoninthisindustrythatconcludedthis.JoannaCarlson,thepastrychefattheUniversity


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ClubofGrandRapids.Shestated,Yes,youdefinitelyneedtobeabletohandlestress,maybe
notextremestress,buttherewillalwaysbeafairamountofpressureplacedonyouespecially
duringbusypointsofthedaywhichvariesdependingontheplace(Carlson).Bothofthese
women,whohaveworkedintheindustryformorethanayear,declaredthatthisindustrycanbe
stressful.Whentheywerequestionedabouttheirmoststressfultimesinthekitchen,Sarahstated
thatshedealtwithitwhenevershewasinvolvedinawedding,holidays,orabuffet(Waller),and
JoannasaidthatshedealtwiththemoststressaroundMother'sDayandEaster(Carlson).Itcan
beseenthatifanypersonwantedtobeinvolvedinthiscareerthattheyneedtobehandlethe
stressthatisinvolved.Attheendofeachinterview,bothwomensaidthatifapersoncouldnot
handlestress,thentheyshouldnotbeintheindustry(WallerCarlson).
Thelastdifficultythatmakesithardforwomentopursueacareerintheculinary
industryisthatthereisevidentsexism.Thisthrowspeopleoffbecausemostpeoplebelievethat
womenbelonginthekitchenbasedonhistory.Theculinaryindustryisdominatedbymen.
StephanieKonkol,theauthorof
SomeonesInTheKitchen,WheresDinah?Gendered
DimensionsOfTheProfessionalCulinaryWorld
,wrote,First,asawomaninculinary,Iwasin
theminority.Themajorityofstudentsinmyclassesweremen,probably85%percent(Konkol,
4).Thiscanbehardforsomepeopletobelievebecausemostofthedomesticatedcookinghas
beencompletedbywomen,butintheindustry,menthinkthatwomencannothandleit.During
herinterview,Sarahansweredthequestionaboutiftherewassexisminthefieldwith,Yes!
Girlsneedtobeverytoughinthisindustry(Waller).Sarahhashadmanyyearsofexperience
withinthisindustry,andshehadhershareofsexismwhileworking.Shestated,Guysthinkthey
arethebossofyoubecausetheyaremen(Waller).Femalesaretypicallyobservedasbeing


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weakerthanmenbecauseoftheirphysicalattributes,whichcanmakementhinkthattheyarenot
suitedforthisindustry.Themainreasontherearemoremalesthanfemalesinthisindustry
comesdowntothatmaleswerefirstacceptedinthisindustry,whichmadeitalmostimpossible
forwomentobepartof.RosaliePlatzerwrotethatmalescreatedanadvancedfoodculturethatit
gottoapointwhereitwasnearlyimpossibleforwomentoreach(Platzer,66).Itisatthepoint
nowwherewomenhaveenteredtheindustry,butbecauseofwhatthehistoryofthisindustryis,
womenaretreatedless.Thismakesthelargestchallengeawomanmustovercomeifshewants
tobepartofthisindustry.Therewillalwaysbemaleswhowilllookdownandtreatwomenas
underdogsbecausetheycanbephysicallyweakerandsincetheyhavenotbeenintheindustryas
long.
Throughoutthepastyears,womenhaveenteredtheculinaryindustry,buttheyhave
facedmanydifficulties.Ithasshownthatthisprofessionishardforwomentopursuebecause
theyhavetochoosebetweenhavingafamilyorhavingagoodcareer,theymusthavetohandle
extremestresswhileworking,andthatthereissexism.Therehavebeenwomenwhohavebeen
abletoovercomethesechallenges,sothisshowsthateventhoughtherearehardchallengesin
thisindustry,theycanbeovercome.


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WorksCited
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.