Anthropologist Mary Douglas argues that we may share a drink (coffee, tea, or something at a bar) with acquaintances, but we share our meals with those with whom we share an intimacy. The "Unremarkable Dining Experience" documents a series of families during their evening meal. By using the photographs, we can glean a large amount of information -- from who is at the table (is there a table!), where they are eating it, the surroundings, and what they are eating. Which photograph best represents your dinner experience and why? If none of them do, how is yours different?
The picture that best represents my dinner meals (during the weekends at least) is the one with the lady eating at the table with her dog next to her, mixed with the lady eating on the sofa w/ her laptop and dog. I usually find myself doing work on my computer while eating at the table with my dog constantly pacing at my feet waiting for crumbs.
ReplyDeleteI come from a family with many children (6) and so all of the pictures that have lots of children and their parents sitting around a table with some sort of chaos describe the dinner eating experiences that I had while growing up. Even when we all had practices, and clubs, and classes to attend my mom always made sure that we sat down together for a family meal prayed together, and did "best and worst." "Best and worst" was where we went around the entire table and all 8 of us had a chance to tell the rest of the family the best and worst thing that had happened that day. Though I don't believe that sitting down to a family meal every night can solve all of the worlds problems, I do know that it was an important and meaningful part of my childhood and that I am very thankful that my parents enforced it. It is definitely something that I will do with my family in the future.
ReplyDeleteTo me, family is important, so any picture where the entire immediate family is dining together would best represent my dinners at home. My mother and I would cook dinner with the help of my younger brother and occasionally my father. We would then all help set the table and eat together. We usually chat after dinner, but sometimes my brother and I have something we have to do so we leave my parents to finish dinner together.
ReplyDeleteThe Picture that best describes my dinner meal is the one where The man, woman, and their son are sitting eating looking off into the sunset, Because I used to sit down and eat dinner every night with my exboyfriend and our daughter and we would always eat outside on our deck, it was the only time we were all together for dinner, we would do it once a week. It was always so relaxing to have our little family together for a meal so that we could all talk.
ReplyDeleteNone of the photos represent my dinner experience because mine (before I came to the Culinary) was quite different. While my parents and I lived in Korea, my brothers were in Michigan going to college. My dad was home only during the weekends because his job took him to a different city within Korea. So there were only my mom and me at a tiny squre-shaped table for a typical weekday dinner. My mom usually made traditional Korean food with rice and banchan (small side dishes). I would typically turn on the TV and eat while watching.
ReplyDeleteMy dinner ritual has been that way for quite a long time, and it needs some explanation. When I was in third grade, my dad stayed in Korea, and the rest of us moved to Michigan. Ever since, it was really hard for my family to eat a meal with everyone present. This became especially so when my brothers went off to college, and my mom and I moved back to Korea. I don't even remember our last family meal with all five of us together. This makes family meals all the more meaningful and important to me.
Agatha W.
ID # 879861