Feeding the American Family: Feminism and Food

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document in english

social sciences

presentation

published 09/06/2008

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level : General public

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Summary

Due to the multiplicity of duties and roles families play in American society, women with families face the increasingly difficult task of managing food preparation and providing nutrition for their families at once. Women with full-time careers must both conduct their own lives and care for their husbands’ and children’s needs in a homey atmosphere. They are responsible for nutrition, and they are in charge of many other aspects of home life as well. They are also accountable for the safety of the food they provide for their families. As the accessibility of TV dinners and fast food chains increased in the 1950s, women who wanted to successfully achieve all of the mentioned aspects of domesticity opted for more simple meal plans in the home. Continuing into today’s market, fast food and heat-and-serve food options still monopolize the way American families, specifically busy wives and mothers, see mealtime. Because we cannot expect women to take full responsibility for this occurrence, we must look at the origins of these ideas and practices, what it means for us today, and options we have in correcting an epidemic of poor nutrition in busy American families.

In the post-World War II era, America found more women in the workforce than it had ever before.
McDonald's first restaurant opened for business in 1955 ('Where it all began'), and today, it is the largest fast food chain worldwide.
Marketing ploys from each of these companies attributed to their success beginning specifically in the 1950s and carrying most of them through today.
Today, parents face the challenges of keeping their children happy while trying to provide nutritious food.
Articles about men's assistance in the kitchen continue to spring up in various newspapers and magazines around the country
Vegetarianism, once thought of as a left-wing political movement, has been taken up as a cause by many feminists.
Also sometimes referred to as the Whole Foods movement, the macrobiotic diet is about purity of the mind and body
Women have the power and ability to push forward a more beneficial health agenda in America today
Personal responsibility is what this debate comes down to Changing one's diet does not have to be a drastic change, and it can be easily adapted to.