Anthropology of Food psychology 11

Sidney Mintz, Father of Food Anthropology, Dies at 93

Anthropology of food is a sub – discipline of anthropology that connects an

ethnographic and historical perspective with contemporary social issues in food
production and consumption pattern.
In another words ” Anthropology of food” is a study of food, its origin, revolution
and changes that has changed the perception of people”.
Any culture has its own body of knowledge on food and beverage and on human
behavior related to the same.
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The term “food anthropology” studies describe the critical examination of food

 and its contexts within science, art, history, society, and other fields. It is
distinctive from other food-related areas of study such as nutrition, agriculture, 
gastronomy, and culinary arts in that it tends to look beyond the mere consumption,
production, and aesthetic appreciation of food and tries to illuminate food as it
relates to a vast number of academic fields.
The Anthropology of food is an analysis of food in culture.  Topics for the
anthropological study of food within a cultural system include economy, inequality,
gender, status, hunter-gatherers, and food as a symbol.

Anthropological study of food offers students the opportunity to explore

historically and culturally variable food ways, from foraging to industrial
agriculture. 
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Anthropologists view food and foodways as tools with which to understand

individual cultures and societies, especially when they are situated in the context of
global and historical flows and connections.

Some anthropological studies highlighted how food came to be used as identity

marker by different cultural groups in different parts of the world in the age of
globalization. Sometimes the migrants started accepting certain foods that were
considered tabooed back home. O Rao (1986) discussed conservatism and change
in food habits among migrants considered as indicator of cultural change.
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Anthropology of food is based on following factors:

 Deeper coverage of culture of food & beverge.
 Focus on traditional culture/communities for many years
 Focus on food taboos specific to any particular caste or tribe or the culture
specific cognitive categories
 Changes in food habits (who eats, what, when and how under the influence of
different cultures, economic and political processes.)

Food habits changes on the basis of:

 Gender,
 Age
 Marital Status
 Preferences of people
 Rituals and customs, Religions
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Food security has been identified as a crucial political issue in the post – colonial
world by the anthropologists as well. Pottier (1999) discussed the social dynamics of
food security as part of his anthropological study. Similarly, locating food in the
global capitalist market place which involves large scale production, processing and
retailing of food through chain of shops have drawn attention of anthropologists as
well. Studies primarily focused on history of foodways of small and large scale
societies, of local cultures on one hand and nation states on the other, constitute a
very important genre of study of food.
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 Psychology is the study of mind and behavior.

 Psychologist attempted to understand the role of mental function in individual and
social, behavioral while also exploring the psychological and biological process
the underline cognitive functions and behavior.
 Psychological aspect of food choice is dependent on genetic predisposition,
parental influence, peer influences and other more general influences like media.
 The parental food choices and consumption plays important role in the psychology
of the growing children and last for life time and very hard to change that habit.
 Different food belief and food taboos ate the psychological aspect in food.
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Psychological functions of food

In addition to satisfying physical and social needs, foods also satisfy certain emotional
needs of human beings. These include a sense of security, love and acceptance. For
example, preparation of delicious foods for family members is a token of love and
affection.
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Socio economic structures, cultures, practices and taboos affecting

nutrition
 The avoidance of specific types of food due to cultural beliefs, social values and
practices is known as food taboos.
 Food taboos are known from almost all human societies as a systematised set of
rules about which foods or combinations of foods one may not consume.
 However, food taboos often target pregnant women to prevent what is perceived
as harmful effects of these foods on the new – born.
According to Meyer-Rochow (2009), the word food taboo is used to describe the
deliberate avoidance of a specific food item "for reasons other than simple dislike
from food preferences".
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Cultural taboos

 Religious and other beliefs often call for this avoidance, but other cultural factors
are involved as well; some foods are regarded as being of low prestige.
 Most people avoid the meat of animals that have died of natural causes, especially
if they were diseased. However, beliefs can differ sharply. One of the writers once
saw migrant workers in the western Himalayas carrying away meat from a calf
that had died of anthrax and was told that such meat had a special "sweetish" taste
which they highly appreciated.
 Important examples of food avoidance are pork among Muslims; beef among
Hindus, some Buddhists and Jains.
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Areas /fields of Anthropological Study of Food

Anthropological study of food include:

1. Sociology
2. cultural,
3. linguistic,
4. biological, and
5. archaeological anthropology.

Anthropology of food is sociology of food or it is the study of food as it relates to the

history, progression, and future development of society. This includes production,
consumption, distribution, conflict, medical application, ritual, spiritual, ethical, and
cultural applications, environmental and labor issues.
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Biological anthropology range from biological and nutritional questions about

humans and primates to cultural practices and choices that affect biology and
nutrition.
Linguistic anthropologists study human perception and communication, finding a
close connection between how people perceive their world and the structure of their
language.
anthropological study of food within a cultural system include economy, inequality,
gender, status, hunter-gatherers, and food as a symbol.
Archaeologists study about the diet or subsistence pattern of the peoples. Major
topics of study related to food are the origins of agriculture, the process of plant and
animal domestication, and the study of foodways (food in a social and cultural
setting). With the help of interdisciplinary teams of specialists, archaeologists
examine a variety of evidence such as animal bones (faunal analysis or
zooarchaeology), plant remains (paleoethnobotany or archaeobotany), human bones
(osteology), residues (chemistry), and the settlement system.