In “The Nourishing Art” Michel de Certeau and Luce Giard argue that the role women undertake are barely appreciated but is very much important. One of the authors looks back to his childhood. His mother encourages him to help her in the kitchen, though he refuses with the idea of one day having a “real profession”. Upon moving out and discovering a tasteless world of unidentifiable cafeteria meals, he begins to appreciate both the joy and culture that come from cooking. Though he never deliberately sent time in the kitchen he recognizes the look, sound, and taste of food that have been unconsciously learned. What he has learned is a culture and a method that is thought to the authors, to be an instinct for all homemakers in their own particular schema of daily life. This instinct has made a task to the untrained seem like genesis, but is merely “ordinary intelligence” to women.
In the last section of the article the authors discuss malnutrition, how it is from not only under eating but is from a lack of vital nutrients, vitamins, and protean. Culture teaches a person what is eatable or not, even when the foodstuff is raw and freshly picked from the earth. It is a woman’s job to balance the foodstuff in her culture so no member of the family becomes sick. A woman’s job is never done and Certeau and Giard are aware that it is much more important than they once thought.
No comments:
Post a Comment