Friday, June 5, 2009
My Reflection
I started my life out in the small town of Maytown, Pennsylvania. To make a long story short, I joined the Navy when I was twenty-one, ended up in beautiful San Diego for eight years, met my husband, got married and moved here to his home state. Do not ask me why I left constant sunshine for constant rain, because I’m still asking myself that question. I currently stay home with my children and have been attending Everett Community College for the past three years. I have been taking one class at a time attempting to finish up my prerequisites for the nursing program. I’m hoping to start the nursing program close to the time my youngest is ready for school. Amazingly, time has flown by and this summer I will take my last class, a math class, in preparation for the nursing program. Now most people take their English classes’ first then work on the classes meant for their degree, but not me. I dread English and quite honestly was praying that a miracle would happen and the school would change its requirements, no longer making a person complete college writing for a degree. I know it sounds crazy, but a person can dream! Through self diagnosis, when it comes to writing papers I have a serious learning disability. Learning over eighty muscles and their functions in less than two weeks in Anatomy, was a piece of cake. Writing a three to four page essay brings me more stress than my four year old throwing a tantrum in the middle of the grocery store (not that he does that). When I think back over this quarter, I wonder if I have grown or improved. It’s hard to say, maybe a little. I’m still stubborn and do not enjoy writing, but I find my self stressing out less.
The themes that were used in this class, identity, community and tradition, helped make the quarter a little more enjoyable. Before this class I would have not thought about how culture affects each one of these themes. I have always thought of identity as something we create for ourselves with some influence from our parents. Now I see that culture has a large influence on the identity we develop. I still believe that personal choices are the largest part of who we are, but I know my identity would be quite different if I were to have grown up in a completely different culture. I know see that culture also goes hand in hand with community and most definitely tradition.
I had a hard time choosing my four pieces for my portfolio, due to my lack of confidence in my writing. Sadly, I felt I could have used all my pieces for the revision piece. For the critical thinking piece, I chose the Intermission 2 timed writing. In this assignment we were ask how our own perceptions of non-conformity were challenged in the film we chose to watch. I had a chosen the film the Whale Rider and felt that this assignment really challenged my critical thinking skills in analyzing the actions of the people in this movie. For my revision piece, I chose Intermission 1 timed writing. I chose this because it was the first time I ever had to write something in a timed setting. It could definitely be improved. In this assignment we had to write how the film defines what it is to be an outsider. I really struggled grasping this idea, and could benefit from revising it. I chose “What’s Your Community” for my audience and voice piece. I felt this piece fit this topic the best compared to the rest of my writings. The last piece I chose was paper three for the writer’s choice. Of course I might regret that after I get my grade. After writing this paper I felt good. The slow loss of family sit down dinners is something I feel strongly about, which made writing this piece a little more enjoyable.
Please remember when viewing my pieces, that I do try my best to be successful. I accept I will never write any books, but I know I will be a great nurse. We all have our weaknesses and English is mine. Although, I do not enjoy writing, I did enjoy the discussions in this class. The discussions gave me chance to use my voice, which in a class setting I would have remained quiet. Thanks for giving me your time.
The themes that were used in this class, identity, community and tradition, helped make the quarter a little more enjoyable. Before this class I would have not thought about how culture affects each one of these themes. I have always thought of identity as something we create for ourselves with some influence from our parents. Now I see that culture has a large influence on the identity we develop. I still believe that personal choices are the largest part of who we are, but I know my identity would be quite different if I were to have grown up in a completely different culture. I know see that culture also goes hand in hand with community and most definitely tradition.
I had a hard time choosing my four pieces for my portfolio, due to my lack of confidence in my writing. Sadly, I felt I could have used all my pieces for the revision piece. For the critical thinking piece, I chose the Intermission 2 timed writing. In this assignment we were ask how our own perceptions of non-conformity were challenged in the film we chose to watch. I had a chosen the film the Whale Rider and felt that this assignment really challenged my critical thinking skills in analyzing the actions of the people in this movie. For my revision piece, I chose Intermission 1 timed writing. I chose this because it was the first time I ever had to write something in a timed setting. It could definitely be improved. In this assignment we had to write how the film defines what it is to be an outsider. I really struggled grasping this idea, and could benefit from revising it. I chose “What’s Your Community” for my audience and voice piece. I felt this piece fit this topic the best compared to the rest of my writings. The last piece I chose was paper three for the writer’s choice. Of course I might regret that after I get my grade. After writing this paper I felt good. The slow loss of family sit down dinners is something I feel strongly about, which made writing this piece a little more enjoyable.
Please remember when viewing my pieces, that I do try my best to be successful. I accept I will never write any books, but I know I will be a great nurse. We all have our weaknesses and English is mine. Although, I do not enjoy writing, I did enjoy the discussions in this class. The discussions gave me chance to use my voice, which in a class setting I would have remained quiet. Thanks for giving me your time.
Introduction to Critical Thinking Piece
For my critical thinking piece, I chose our second timed writing in which I was asked to demonstrate how the film, The Whale Rider, challenges my own perceptions of non-conformity. In this assignment I was able to put my critical thinking skills to the test by taking a peek into a culture different from my own and analyzing how the behaviors of the characters in the movie could be seen as non-conforming. My perception of non-conformity is someone who does not go with the flow, and causes ripples in society. With this in mind, I chose to focus on two characters, Porourangi and Pai, who I felt were the non-conformers in this movie. My analysis of these particular characters began with the following statement, “we see a young girl and her father who could be considered outlaws because of their refusal to except their chosen roles in the Maori tribe”. I analyzed how and why these characters refused to take on their expected roles and how this made them an outlaw within their tribe. For example, I talked about how Porourangi does not accept the role as the tribe leader his father, Koro expects him to fill. He rejects the tribe even more when his father asks him to ignore his newborn daughter and continue trying for son to become the new leader. I continue my analysis of non-conforming ways when I talk about Pai, Porourangi’s daughter. I discuss how Pai’s overwhelming need to fulfill her destiny overrides her ability to be “just a girl” in her tribe. This assignment required me to really look at the motives behind the actions of these characters, and sometimes it takes a little bit of non-conformity to find out true selves.
Crossing Boundaries
What is the definition of conformity? Wikipedia defines conformity as, “a process by which an individual’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by other people”. Based on that definition my perception of non-conformity would be an individual who does not let other people influence their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. In the movie The Whale Rider, we see a young girl and her father who could be considered outlaws because of their refusal to except their chosen roles in the Maori tribe.
The first peek we get at a character exhibiting non-conforming behavior, is in the beginning of the movie. Porourangi, the Maori tribes eldest son has just lost his twin son and wife during childbirth. Porourangi’s father, the chief, dismisses Porourangi’s twin daughter who survived, and tell’s Porourangi he must eventually move on and try for a son again in the future. Porourangi does not except the responsibility that his father places on him to father the future chief of the Maori tribe. To Porourangi, it is not important that his child is a boy or a girl. He accepts his daughter and shows his acceptance of her by giving her the name of the Maori’s ancestor Whale Rider, Paikea. Koro, Porourangi’s father is extremely upset by this, the name Paikea should not be used on a daughter. This action of non-conformity by Porourangi’s is followed with many more. Porourangi eventually moves away, leaving his daughter, and follows a path not approved by his father.
Porourangi’s father, Koro, is not happy about Porourangi’s actions, but eventually accepts and learns to love his granddaughter, Pai. Even though Koro feels he follows the rules of his culture very strictly, he too is guilty of non-conformity. His attitude toward his granddaughter is one that society is not willing to accept. In the movie, it is clear that Koro loves Pai, but holds no respect for her. Everyone around him accepts Pai for who she is, except Koro. He can’t see past his desire to have a boy to fulfill his idea of who the next leader of the Maori tribe should be. He is caught up in his old ways, he fails to see the true potential that his granddaughter possesses. He is failing to conform to how society treats their family members, the people we love the most. This was obvious in our class discussion of the movie. Most people seemed really upset with the way Koro treated Pai.
Everyone in this movie was guilty of a little non-conformity. I believe the main focus of the movie was Pai. Conformity for a girl in the Maori tribe was tested through Pai. She did not accept her role as just being a girl. She felt the desire inside of herself to be more. Despite what her grandfather thought, she consistently pushed her boundaries to be able to learn what it was truly meant to be part of the Maori tribe. This meant sneaking into the boys only school and secretly learning what the boys were learning. When she was no longer able to get away with sneaking around the school, she turned to her uncle to help teach her the ways of the Maori tribe. All of this was done against her grandfather’s wishes. Pai knew there was more to her than her gender, and she was willing to break social laws to be who she wanted.
I think when we first hear the words, non-conformity, we hear negativity. When we look further into what it means to not conform, I believe it can be positive as well. He people always conform, then how would we achieve individuality? How would we set ourselves apart from other people. I believe we have to have non-conformity in our world or it would be a very boring
The first peek we get at a character exhibiting non-conforming behavior, is in the beginning of the movie. Porourangi, the Maori tribes eldest son has just lost his twin son and wife during childbirth. Porourangi’s father, the chief, dismisses Porourangi’s twin daughter who survived, and tell’s Porourangi he must eventually move on and try for a son again in the future. Porourangi does not except the responsibility that his father places on him to father the future chief of the Maori tribe. To Porourangi, it is not important that his child is a boy or a girl. He accepts his daughter and shows his acceptance of her by giving her the name of the Maori’s ancestor Whale Rider, Paikea. Koro, Porourangi’s father is extremely upset by this, the name Paikea should not be used on a daughter. This action of non-conformity by Porourangi’s is followed with many more. Porourangi eventually moves away, leaving his daughter, and follows a path not approved by his father.
Porourangi’s father, Koro, is not happy about Porourangi’s actions, but eventually accepts and learns to love his granddaughter, Pai. Even though Koro feels he follows the rules of his culture very strictly, he too is guilty of non-conformity. His attitude toward his granddaughter is one that society is not willing to accept. In the movie, it is clear that Koro loves Pai, but holds no respect for her. Everyone around him accepts Pai for who she is, except Koro. He can’t see past his desire to have a boy to fulfill his idea of who the next leader of the Maori tribe should be. He is caught up in his old ways, he fails to see the true potential that his granddaughter possesses. He is failing to conform to how society treats their family members, the people we love the most. This was obvious in our class discussion of the movie. Most people seemed really upset with the way Koro treated Pai.
Everyone in this movie was guilty of a little non-conformity. I believe the main focus of the movie was Pai. Conformity for a girl in the Maori tribe was tested through Pai. She did not accept her role as just being a girl. She felt the desire inside of herself to be more. Despite what her grandfather thought, she consistently pushed her boundaries to be able to learn what it was truly meant to be part of the Maori tribe. This meant sneaking into the boys only school and secretly learning what the boys were learning. When she was no longer able to get away with sneaking around the school, she turned to her uncle to help teach her the ways of the Maori tribe. All of this was done against her grandfather’s wishes. Pai knew there was more to her than her gender, and she was willing to break social laws to be who she wanted.
I think when we first hear the words, non-conformity, we hear negativity. When we look further into what it means to not conform, I believe it can be positive as well. He people always conform, then how would we achieve individuality? How would we set ourselves apart from other people. I believe we have to have non-conformity in our world or it would be a very boring
Introduction to Revision Piece
I chose our first time writing as my revision piece. I chose this piece because it was the first time I have ever written anything with a time limit. Writing for me is extremely stressful, and adding the time limit created even more anxiety during this assignment. In the assignment I was asked to develop a thesis-driven discussion that demonstrates how the film Bend It Like Beckham defines what it is to be an outsider and how this supports or challenges my own beliefs.
During the process of writing this piece the first time around, my mind was clouded with stress and I made several mistakes. My main mistake was not including what my own beliefs of what an outsider are. It’s hard to discuss how the film challenges or supports my beliefs if I don’t include them in the piece. In my revision I was sure to include this in the very first paragraph and I wrote, “When I think of an outsider, I think of someone who is alienated from society because they choose to live their life differently from the people around them”.
In my first piece I had a tendency to summarize rather than give an analysis. Although, I struggled with the line between summary and analysis, I attempted to have more analysis and fewer summaries in my revision. Hopefully, being minus the time restraint I was able to make improvements to this piece.
During the process of writing this piece the first time around, my mind was clouded with stress and I made several mistakes. My main mistake was not including what my own beliefs of what an outsider are. It’s hard to discuss how the film challenges or supports my beliefs if I don’t include them in the piece. In my revision I was sure to include this in the very first paragraph and I wrote, “When I think of an outsider, I think of someone who is alienated from society because they choose to live their life differently from the people around them”.
In my first piece I had a tendency to summarize rather than give an analysis. Although, I struggled with the line between summary and analysis, I attempted to have more analysis and fewer summaries in my revision. Hopefully, being minus the time restraint I was able to make improvements to this piece.
Outsiders
The Original
When a person's personal hopes and dreams conflict with their cultural beliefs, that person may be seen as an outsider. If they chose to follow those dreams that conflict with their culture they take the chance of alienating themselves from the people they know best. "Bend It Like Beckham" gives us a peek into this situation. The movie uses the Indian culture as an example of how a person of this culture may become an outsider.
An example and main point of the movie is Jess' interest in playing soccer. In Jess' culture woman should dress and act in a certain way. Her mom doesn't approve of her wearing shorts and playing sports with boys. Jess' need to fulfill her desire to play soccer and this puts a strain on her relationship with her family, making her an outsider in her own home. Trying to force Jess into a lifestyle she doesn't want pushes her further into feeling like she doesn't belong. You can see she is uncomfortable with the traditional role she is expected to follow, while her sister is completely accepting of her role in the Indian culture. When an individual in a family is made to feel different, it will make them feel even more disconnected from their family and culture. Jess may have wanted to go play soccer in the United States to avoid feeling like she didn't fit.
In the movie Jess is not the only one to be placed in the role of an outsider. Eventually, the rest of her family gets a taste of it as well. When Pinky's future in-laws assume that Jess is involved with a British boy, they call off the wedding between their son and Pinky. They assume that Pinky and Jess' parents aren't good parents who follow the traditions of the Indian Culture. The in-laws cast judgment on the entire family and leave them to feel like outsiders. The in-laws must feel very strongly about how this will represent them, since they are willing to through away the happiness of their son to prevent association with Pinky's family. Many situations happen like this in the world. It can be a result of different cultures, different religions or different socioeconomic status. People can become outsiders if they attempt to change things that other people don't want changed.
The coach of the women's soccer team, Joe, felt like her was an outsider as well. His relationship with his father suffered because of it. He was so worried about being judged as a coach for a woman's team, he resisted communication with his father. Being a woman's coach made him feel like a failure, that if he was really good at what he did he would be coaching men's. Joe's culture may have not approved of women playing sports. Coaching them may have not been appropriate; therefore he refrained from telling his father. I believe it really made him feel alienated from his culture.
In a world where so many different ways of life occur. It is extremely difficult to avoid becoming an outsider. Their are so many temptations in the world to be different, that it would be hard to believe that every culture has people who would like to do things differently. I think that is how our society evolves and is constantly changing. It would be really boring if it didn't.
The Revision
When I think of an outsider, I think of someone who is alienated from society because they choose to live their life differently from the people around them. The movie Bend It Like Beckham reconfirms my belief of what it means to be an outsider by taking a look into a situation where two girls choose to follow a dream, rather than accept their chosen roles in their particular society. Sometimes in society chosen identity and expected identity can be very different, and when this happens we create our outsiders.
My first example and the main focus of the movie is Jess, and Indian girl, whose interest in playing soccer conflicts with her culture’s expectations of an Indian woman. The movie portrays Indian women as feminine, proper and strong believers of upholding the Indian traditions. Jess has a passion for playing soccer, an activity that was not typically played by Indian women. Because of Jess’ need to fulfill her desire to play soccer, she creates a strain on her relationship with her family, making her an outsider in her own home. The film shows us the conflict between Jess and her family members including her sister, who completely accepts her traditional role in the Indian culture. When Jess’ family compares her to her sister, Pinky, it only creates further alienation for Jess. If the expectation is to be like her big sister, Jess’ strong sense of who she is and what she wants can only alienate her even more. In the movie Jess’ actions coincide with my own definition of what it is to be an outsider, although her character is not someone I would have personally thought of as an outsider. Jess is not deliberately trying to be an outcast. She does not want to be different from her family and would love to be able to blend in and not bring attention to herself.
In the movie Jess is not the only to experience the role of an outsider. Although the members of Jess’ family are strong followers of their culture’s traditions, Jess’ actions place them into the role of outsiders as well. When Pinky’s future in-laws assume Jess is involved with a British boy, they call off the wedding between their son and Pinky and cast judgment on the entire family. They assume the Pinky and Jess’ parents are not good parents and do not teach their children to follow traditional Indian culture. The in-laws must feel very strongly about how this will represent them, since they are willing to throw away the happiness of their son to prevent association with Pinky and Jess’ family. I see situations like this in my own society. People are placed into the role of an outsider because they attempt to change long standing beliefs within a society. Changes may be what a people may need, but are too afraid to accept.
The coach of Jess’ soccer team, Joe, could be seen as an outsider as well. The beliefs that his father projected onto him, made him feel like the choices he made in life were not accepted. The fear of his father not accepting Joe as the coach of a woman’s soccer team, kept Joe from having any contact with his father. He thought that in the eyes of his father, coaching a women’s soccer team equals failure. This may be because in Joe’s culture, women playing sports was not accepted. Maybe coaching a women’s team was viewed as inappropriate. Joe was very careful in not having intimate relationships with his players. This happens in our culture as well. Women have certain sports that are not considered acceptable for them to play, for example, football. A woman who chooses to play football would be seen as an outsider or different.
We live in a world where there are many different ways of life. It is extremely difficult to have a world without any outsiders. It would seem to me that the world would be absent of social change if we did not have outsiders to create a ripple in our constant flow.
Introduction to Awareness of Audience and Voice Piece
For the awareness of audience and voice piece I chose our second blog assignment. In this assignment I had to explain how my own daily activities connected me to a community of people. I chose this piece because I feel it gives the audience in site into the life of a mom who stays home. It would be easy for some one to assume that moms who stay home are less likely to be involved in a community if they are too busy changing diapers, feeding kids and scrubbing toilets. On the contrary moms who stay home need to belong to a community as I stated in my piece, “Moms crave companionship outside their home, someone to make them feel normal and to share the ups and downs of life”. Writing this piece gave me the chance to use my voice as a stay-home-mom to share how my community is developed.
Stay Home Moms are a Community
The 45th Drive NE cul-de-sac Moms is a community that is held together by friendship. Moms crave companionship outside their home, someone to make them feel normal and to share the ups and downs of life. We are held together by that need for friendship. We are drawn to each other and each other’s experiences, anxiously waiting for moments when we can all meet up outside and talk about life. We great relationships with our husband’s, but we know that our husbands can not understand us the way we understand each other.
Belonging to this community has many advantages. We have common interests that we share outside of being a mom. One mom has been my running partner for the past seven years. Another mom and I share the struggle of making it on one income. All of us fight the daily battle of weight, always talking about better ways to be healthier and sharing new tips that we have learned. We count on each other emotionally, to support one another when times are tuff. It’s a constant cycle of one of us needing a shoulder to cry on or listening ear. Family is our number one priority and we can always count on one another for support with our children. We are a community that truly needs one another. I don’t know where I would be emotionally if I had never become part of this community.
One of the only tensions my community may have is difference in parenting. Everyone respects each others decisions, but it is only natural to disagree with another parent’s decisions or lack of discipline at times. There have been arguments, but we have always worked through them. We realize that relationships are not perfect.
I fit in with this community for several reasons. First, I live here. Anyone, with or without kids, in our cul-de-sac is welcomed to spend time with us. Second, I need the friendship. Being a stay home mom, my cul-de-sac is one of the few places I can get out and talk to other people. I don’t go to work and don’t have many other options. Last, it is wonderful to be able to let your children play and have someone to talk to during that time. I couldn’t imagine not being part of this community. It’s not just a community to me, but a family.
Belonging to this community has many advantages. We have common interests that we share outside of being a mom. One mom has been my running partner for the past seven years. Another mom and I share the struggle of making it on one income. All of us fight the daily battle of weight, always talking about better ways to be healthier and sharing new tips that we have learned. We count on each other emotionally, to support one another when times are tuff. It’s a constant cycle of one of us needing a shoulder to cry on or listening ear. Family is our number one priority and we can always count on one another for support with our children. We are a community that truly needs one another. I don’t know where I would be emotionally if I had never become part of this community.
One of the only tensions my community may have is difference in parenting. Everyone respects each others decisions, but it is only natural to disagree with another parent’s decisions or lack of discipline at times. There have been arguments, but we have always worked through them. We realize that relationships are not perfect.
I fit in with this community for several reasons. First, I live here. Anyone, with or without kids, in our cul-de-sac is welcomed to spend time with us. Second, I need the friendship. Being a stay home mom, my cul-de-sac is one of the few places I can get out and talk to other people. I don’t go to work and don’t have many other options. Last, it is wonderful to be able to let your children play and have someone to talk to during that time. I couldn’t imagine not being part of this community. It’s not just a community to me, but a family.
Introduction to Writer's Choice Piece
The third and last paper of our class is the piece I chose for the writer’s choice. I chose this piece for many reasons, the main reason was the amount of practice I had before I wrote this paper. Although I’m not completely confident in my writing, I think that it would be impossible for my writing not to improve throughout the quarter. I felt like I had more confidence while I was writing this paper. I also chose this paper because it was a topic I feel strongly about, which makes digging for words and thoughts less difficult.
In this assignment we were asked to write about how a specific pop culture trend challenges cultural traditions. I wrote about how the emergence's of fast food restaurants have been slowly eliminating the traditional sit down meal at home as I state in my paper, “This convenience of fast food restaurants have made them a preference for our fast pace society and has had a negative impact on the traditional sit down family meal at home”. I feel passionately about the disappearance of sit down family meals and can only hope that by choosing this piece as my writer’s choice it encourages other families to take the time to sit down with their family.
In this assignment we were asked to write about how a specific pop culture trend challenges cultural traditions. I wrote about how the emergence's of fast food restaurants have been slowly eliminating the traditional sit down meal at home as I state in my paper, “This convenience of fast food restaurants have made them a preference for our fast pace society and has had a negative impact on the traditional sit down family meal at home”. I feel passionately about the disappearance of sit down family meals and can only hope that by choosing this piece as my writer’s choice it encourages other families to take the time to sit down with their family.
Family Dinners-The Loss of a Family Tradition
The days of the family gathering around the table in the early evening to share a meal have been replaced with busy schedules and easy to grab food. In a society where it is common for both parents to be working outside the home and the children are involved in several after school activities, fast food is fast becoming the popular choice for dinner. The one time of the day where the family could count on spending some time together is quickly fading as more and more options are available in the fast food industry. This convenience of fast food restaurants have made them a preference for our fast pace society and has had a negative impact on the traditional sit down family meal at home.
There once was a time when families used dinner as an opportunity to discuss the day’s events of each individual at the table. The evening would begin with mom in the kitchen cooking the families traditional meals with recipes passed down from generations or recipes she has collected over time. When dinner was ready the entire family would gather around the dinner table to eat. Throughout dinner family members would share the events of their day. Such conversations range from “how was your day at school or work?’ to discussion of current events. Dinner was a time that families could rely on being together.
In today’s hectic lifestyle the possibility of an entire family being together for dinner on a regular basis has diminished. The rise of fast food restaurants has enabled families to maintain a constant “on-the-go” lifestyle. Fast food is a simple substitution for nightly sit down dinners at home. Unfortunately, this type of lifestyle has made it difficult for families to communicate on a personal level. Conversations about school and currents events are more difficult inside the car at the drive through or inside a noisy restaurant. Inside the restaurant, children are focused on the toy they have received in their dinner or the humongous play area. Parents are consumed with trying to get everyone’s order correct, finding a place to sit and keeping the entire family in their seats. If the dinner is obtained in the drive through, it is most likely it will be eaten in the car where conversation is less likely.
Family communication is not the only thing a family loses when they choose fast food over a home cooked meal. Helping and observing mom in the kitchen has given families time to share and pass down recipes from generation to generation, while teaching the techniques of cooking those recipes along the way. As more and more families choose fast food dinners over sit down dinners at home, the recipes and techniques start to get lost. Where will those memories of your “favorite meal that mom cooks” be if most of the dinners you have are fast food? How will you remember to make that chicken potpie like mom if mom only makes it once a year? Often, family’s traditional recipes are a healthy balance of vegetables, meats and whole grains. In contrast, fast food usually consists of additives, preservatives and high saturated fats with little or no vegetable choices. Continually eating fast food can cause an addiction to that particular style of food making it more desirable than healthy home cooked food that is served during a family dinner. The result could be that families not only choose to eat fast food when they are short on time, but start eating it because they prefer it.
In addition to losing exposure to traditional family recipes and cooking techniques, a person’s over all health is affected by consuming too much fast food. Over the past twenty years obesity rates have risen significantly, which seems to coincide with the decrease in traditional family sit down meals and the increase in availability of fast food. No longer will you hear, “you need to eat your peas before you leave the table”. Kids miss out on education of healthy eating that they get from mom and dad when the family sit down dinner is replaced by fast food. It’s hard to teach a child the importance of eating their fruits and vegetables when the fruits and vegetables are absent in the meal. How are children taught about portion size when the portions are already decided for them? “Only take as much as you can eat” is a common statement at the dinner table, teaching children about not wasting food. If a person is eating a meal where the portions are already decided, they have one of two choices, eat all of it or throw away the rest. Although fast food enables society to fall out of the tradition of sitting down at home and eating their meal, it does give the family the flexibility to be involved in many things outside the home. Richard Pillsbury says, “The good part is that mom does not have to spend the day or days preparing the food and can enjoy the event with the same relaxed ease as other” (190) in Thoroughly Modern Dining. This is true; mom is able to focus on other things besides cooking, for example, working and having a career of her own. This also gives the kids more time to be involved in different hobbies and interests. It is not necessary for them to feel confined to the dining room and the need to be there for every meal. Pillsbury also says, “The downside is that mom no longer plays the role of the dispenser of personalized love and attention” (190). Family sit down meals have much more meaning behind them than a grab and go dinner from McDonalds.
People’s lives will continue to be busy and the traditional sit down dinners will possibly fade away. Future kids may have to watch reruns of Happy Days or Leave it to Beaver to understand what a traditional family dinner looks like. Families will have to create new ways to find time to communicate, bond and pass down family traditions in the kitchen.
There once was a time when families used dinner as an opportunity to discuss the day’s events of each individual at the table. The evening would begin with mom in the kitchen cooking the families traditional meals with recipes passed down from generations or recipes she has collected over time. When dinner was ready the entire family would gather around the dinner table to eat. Throughout dinner family members would share the events of their day. Such conversations range from “how was your day at school or work?’ to discussion of current events. Dinner was a time that families could rely on being together.
In today’s hectic lifestyle the possibility of an entire family being together for dinner on a regular basis has diminished. The rise of fast food restaurants has enabled families to maintain a constant “on-the-go” lifestyle. Fast food is a simple substitution for nightly sit down dinners at home. Unfortunately, this type of lifestyle has made it difficult for families to communicate on a personal level. Conversations about school and currents events are more difficult inside the car at the drive through or inside a noisy restaurant. Inside the restaurant, children are focused on the toy they have received in their dinner or the humongous play area. Parents are consumed with trying to get everyone’s order correct, finding a place to sit and keeping the entire family in their seats. If the dinner is obtained in the drive through, it is most likely it will be eaten in the car where conversation is less likely.
Family communication is not the only thing a family loses when they choose fast food over a home cooked meal. Helping and observing mom in the kitchen has given families time to share and pass down recipes from generation to generation, while teaching the techniques of cooking those recipes along the way. As more and more families choose fast food dinners over sit down dinners at home, the recipes and techniques start to get lost. Where will those memories of your “favorite meal that mom cooks” be if most of the dinners you have are fast food? How will you remember to make that chicken potpie like mom if mom only makes it once a year? Often, family’s traditional recipes are a healthy balance of vegetables, meats and whole grains. In contrast, fast food usually consists of additives, preservatives and high saturated fats with little or no vegetable choices. Continually eating fast food can cause an addiction to that particular style of food making it more desirable than healthy home cooked food that is served during a family dinner. The result could be that families not only choose to eat fast food when they are short on time, but start eating it because they prefer it.
In addition to losing exposure to traditional family recipes and cooking techniques, a person’s over all health is affected by consuming too much fast food. Over the past twenty years obesity rates have risen significantly, which seems to coincide with the decrease in traditional family sit down meals and the increase in availability of fast food. No longer will you hear, “you need to eat your peas before you leave the table”. Kids miss out on education of healthy eating that they get from mom and dad when the family sit down dinner is replaced by fast food. It’s hard to teach a child the importance of eating their fruits and vegetables when the fruits and vegetables are absent in the meal. How are children taught about portion size when the portions are already decided for them? “Only take as much as you can eat” is a common statement at the dinner table, teaching children about not wasting food. If a person is eating a meal where the portions are already decided, they have one of two choices, eat all of it or throw away the rest. Although fast food enables society to fall out of the tradition of sitting down at home and eating their meal, it does give the family the flexibility to be involved in many things outside the home. Richard Pillsbury says, “The good part is that mom does not have to spend the day or days preparing the food and can enjoy the event with the same relaxed ease as other” (190) in Thoroughly Modern Dining. This is true; mom is able to focus on other things besides cooking, for example, working and having a career of her own. This also gives the kids more time to be involved in different hobbies and interests. It is not necessary for them to feel confined to the dining room and the need to be there for every meal. Pillsbury also says, “The downside is that mom no longer plays the role of the dispenser of personalized love and attention” (190). Family sit down meals have much more meaning behind them than a grab and go dinner from McDonalds.
People’s lives will continue to be busy and the traditional sit down dinners will possibly fade away. Future kids may have to watch reruns of Happy Days or Leave it to Beaver to understand what a traditional family dinner looks like. Families will have to create new ways to find time to communicate, bond and pass down family traditions in the kitchen.
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