Essay #2: Cultural Text Analysis
Cover Page and Academic Identification Details
Essay #2: Cultural Text Analysis
Draft #1
Student Name
Course
Date
Conceptual Foundations of Culture and Cultural Diversity in Social Contexts
Culture refers to a people's "way of being," which includes their beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors. Cultural diversity is a network of beliefs and actions that acknowledges and appreciates the existence of all of the different communities in a firm or society, values their cultural and socioeconomic disparities, and supports and facilitates their continued contributions within an embracing cultural framework that uplifts everyone in that firm or society (Mandi, 2022). Certain cultures may have distinct languages, dress differently, or hold distinct beliefs and ideals. The cultural texts selected for this comparative essay are “Food As Culture: Cuisine, Food Customs, And Cultural Identity” and “Food is a Window to Cultural Diversity” by Evans (2023) and Baer-Sinnott (2020), respectively. This essay aims to compare cultural texts on how different types of foods can showcase culture and cultural diversity.
Role of Food Institutions in Preserving Cultural Identity and Community Well-Being
SLO Food Bank believes that everybody should have access to nutritious meals. Their efforts are directed towards guaranteeing that all community members have the opportunity to consume fresh food. They set up their schemes in a few different ways so that those in need can get fresh food produced more quickly and affordably (Evans, 2023). By working with an alliance of community partners, they aim to reduce hunger and create a healthier community. Every culture revolves around food. It serves as a vehicle for expressing oneself, interpersonal communication, the safeguarding of rich cultural heritage, and a means of subsistence. Food is integral to people's cultural identity, representing their values, history, and heritage.
Advocacy for Cultural Inclusion Through Food Bank Practices and Policies
The first cultural text is addressed to food banks; it pushes them to honor culture and heritage through cultural foods. Food banks should focus on the relationship between culture and food to guarantee everybody can access nutritious, fresh, and culturally relevant food. The preservation of cultural heritage and the development of a broader and more equitable society depend on the availability of cultural meals and customs, which are integral components of cultural identity and legacy in every society.
The cultural text argues that, though they have historically been thought of as avenues of providing emergency food sustenance, food banks such as the SLO Food Bank are coming to recognize and value their role in safeguarding cultural dishes and heritage. It claims that many food banks source a wide variety of culturally distinctive foods from various global meals, as they recognize food's crucial role in cultural identity and convenience. Therefore, food banks have become critical in advancing and observing culture.
Additionally, this text aims to show how food banks can affirm the significance of cultural or traditional foods and heritage. It also intends to show how food banks can go beyond servicing only as offering emergency sustenance and embrace the responsibility of preserving and appreciating cultural dishes and heritage. That change aims to feed people's bodies and souls while also recognizing and honoring the cultural diversity of their communities. It is more than about reducing hunger. By accomplishing this, food banks promote a sense of belonging and community among their recipients by recognizing the value of cultural dishes and heritage.
Rhetorical Strategies in Promoting Cultural Food Awareness in Institutional Contexts
While increasing food banks' adherence to his idea of embracing cultural foods and heritage beyond serving emergency food sustenance, the writer of the text uses different examples of how SLO Food Bank has embraced culture, heritage, and cultural diversity. The writer notes that SLO Food Bank rescues food from nearby farms and sources food from distributors, USDA commodities, and other sources. A grocery store might be over fifty miles away in the most remote parts of the county. They also conduct food distributions and advance food assistance initiatives like CalFresh.
The writer uses pathos to increase audience adherence to her ideas and plead with food banks to embrace cultural foods. He uses images to show the different cultural foods that these food banks could consider having. He also uses language to compel the audience to comply with her ideas concerning food diversity. The writer says that a nation's national dish may also serve as a defining characteristic of that nation's culture. A national dish is a dish that is commonly regarded as the most iconic or good food representation in a given nation (Evans, 2023). It frequently has a lengthy history and profound cultural significance, and it is closely linked to a specific nation and its culture.
Further, the writer uses ethos and an educated persona to increase the audience's adherence to his ideas. He acknowledges that individuals can learn about and value other cultures through food, which acts as a bridge between them. Immigrants have enhanced American cuisine and cultivated a melting pot of cultures by bringing their native cuisines and culinary customs to the country (Evans, 2023). Dishes like sushi, tacos, and pizza have established themselves as mainstays of American cooking, showcasing the country's diverse population. As food banks embrace cultural foods and heritage, they should appreciate that food is a window to cultural diversity, as demonstrated in the second cultural text.
Historical and Cultural Significance of Traditional Foodways in Societal Development
As a company, Oldways has spent the last thirty years encouraging people and groups to enjoy the taste, nutrition, sustainability, and happiness that come with the "old ways" of eating. Anything significant or unique transmitted from generation to generation to preserve it can be considered a part of America's heritage. Before all else, that is what people are given. African culinary customs significantly influenced American Southern culture, with the Gullah Geechee's culinary practices particularly intriguing (Baer-Sinnott, 2020). From where they were taken, enslaved people brought their agricultural and culinary skills to the South. African crops included rice, peanuts, and black-eyed peas. Since the enslaved individuals were so educated about effectively growing these crops, they became popular and were grown all over the South.
Interpretation of Food as a Medium for Cultural Expression and Diversity Awareness
The second cultural text addresses all people who love cultural foods and heritage. The writer quoted the words of Michael Pollan, who said that the more people will appreciate cultural differences in eating, the healthier they shall be.
The second cultural text argues that food serves as a historical window. It depicts the migration of individuals and food through space and time. Everyone will be happier, healthier, and more unified if they respect the cultural variations in food, which is a critical first step toward individual and societal cultural humbleness.
The purpose of this text was to encourage and invite people to incorporate traditional culinary cultures into their daily meals. People occasionally undervalue the potential of heritage concerning food. On special occasions like holidays or birthdays, they may indulge in their ancestors' traditional cuisine, but they prefer contemporary eating customs over cultural ones for everyday sustenance. As a result, people have departed from and left their cultural foods, but they should often have them on their tables.
Application of Rhetorical Appeals in Promoting Cultural Awareness Through Food Narratives
Additionally, the writer uses logos to increase the audience's adherence to her ideas. She notes that although there are numerous examples of how African food influenced American Southern culture, the Gullah Geechee's gastronomic and cultural customs are particularly intriguing. The writer acknowledges how learning the eating ways of people from this region is a window to history and cultural diversity.
The writer uses pathos to stimulate indignation and emotional response among the audience, which would increase their adherence to her ideas. She says that ancient African American cuisine and cooking were influenced by various sources, including hunting in the wild, private gardens owned by enslaved people, southern farms, and Africa (Baer-Sinnott, 2020). Southern and African characteristics mixed.
Furthermore, the writer uses ethos through a friendly persona to increase the audience’s adherence to her ideas. She says that change of scenery means learning about African and African diasporan eating habits and cultural traditions rather than just those of the more recognizable locales (Baer-Sinnott, 2020). She also acknowledges meeting Chief Benjamin in South Carolina, who is more competent in teaching the Gullah Geechee foodways than anybody else.
Comparative Insights on Food as a Marker of Cultural Identity Across Texts
Based on the two cultural texts, it is evident that food serves as the best reminder and identifier of people’s culture. Different cultures have different types of food, which distinguishes them from other cultures. From the first cultural text, traditional cuisine is a crucial element of cultural identity. The food links to cultural and historical backgrounds, acting as a reminder of the past through related traditional methods and social customs. The second text implies that despite people relocating to foreign lands, they did remember their old foodways since old eating habits reflected their culture and traditions.
Integrated Reflection on Cultural Identity and the Role of Food in Cultural Preservation
In conclusion, culture defines people's way of life, beliefs, and behaviors. People from different origins are defined by their culture because different cultures have different ways of life and conduct of events. One example of the things that distinguish people from their culture is food. Cultural food shows the heritage of the people from that culture. The texts show that people should hold on to their cultural foods, heritage, and old foodways to remain intact with their culture.
Reference List
Baer-Sinnott, S. (2020, November 23). Food is a Window to Cultural Diversity. U.S. News. https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/food-is-a-window-to-cultural-diversity
Evans, S. (2023, July 19). Food As Culture: Cuisine, Food Customs, And Cultural Identity. SLO Food Bank. https://www.slofoodbank.org/food-as-culture/
Mandi, J. (2022, November 30). Cultural Diversity & Cultural Competence Meaning: How & Why Diverse Cultural Competency is important? Diversity for Social Impact. https://diversity.social/cultural-diversity/