Family Foodways

Abstract

Family foodways, despite the rise of a neo-liberal individualism that values autonomy, self-governance and self-control, remain significant in drawing boundaries and reinforcing legitimate ways of doing food and family. Individuals learn to ‘do’ gender and class through family foodways and consequently family foodways reinforce legitimate ways of doing gender/ class/ food/ family. Thus, family food-ways are vital for inculcating class tastes (Bourdieu 1984) and table manners (Visser 1991). Further, because family represents a theatre for the civilising of appetites (Elias 1978, Mennell 1985), if appropriate family foodways have not been instilled it has implications for identity.