Reflective Essay
Restaurants have always seemed to be an ubiquitous part of the human experience, so realizing that they had not been around for long in their current manifestation was the first turning point I reached during the course.
The way that restaurants came to be in the United States is representative of the individualistic ethos that Americans espouse, with the menus and the choice of any meal that you desire. This extends to the democratization of restaurants, because as the texts show, they may have started out as establishments that served the wealthy, but over time, poorer people began creating similar spaces for themselves.
The primary concept I have learned from this course is how restaurants serve as a microcosm of society. The same issues that are present in a society at large play out in restaurants, such as racism, sexism, and classism, which divide people. However, because restaurants serve as gathering places where people commune with each other in the most human way possible, they also become spaces where these divisions can be met head on.
While many of the issues explored in this course were familiar to me, exploring them within the context of restaurants gave me a new understanding of the role that food and the industries built around it play in our lives. Eating is something that every human being does, and most of the time, we eat together. The ways in which we eat together and share food says a lot about us as a community and a society. From influencing our eating habits to giving us role models such as Anthony Bourdain and Julia Child to providing spaces for people to meet that otherwise never would have, restaurants may not have existed since the inception of the United States, but they certainly stand as one of the most American institutions out there.
The way that restaurants came to be in the United States is representative of the individualistic ethos that Americans espouse, with the menus and the choice of any meal that you desire. This extends to the democratization of restaurants, because as the texts show, they may have started out as establishments that served the wealthy, but over time, poorer people began creating similar spaces for themselves.
The primary concept I have learned from this course is how restaurants serve as a microcosm of society. The same issues that are present in a society at large play out in restaurants, such as racism, sexism, and classism, which divide people. However, because restaurants serve as gathering places where people commune with each other in the most human way possible, they also become spaces where these divisions can be met head on.
While many of the issues explored in this course were familiar to me, exploring them within the context of restaurants gave me a new understanding of the role that food and the industries built around it play in our lives. Eating is something that every human being does, and most of the time, we eat together. The ways in which we eat together and share food says a lot about us as a community and a society. From influencing our eating habits to giving us role models such as Anthony Bourdain and Julia Child to providing spaces for people to meet that otherwise never would have, restaurants may not have existed since the inception of the United States, but they certainly stand as one of the most American institutions out there.
Hello Maya Wilson Fernandez. I am a Pastor from Mumbai, India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the blog post. I am also blessed and feel privileged and honoured to get connected with you as well as know you and about your interest. Your look, name and name are very Indian. I presume that your fore fathers come from India. It was interesting to go through your blog post on Reflective Essay which speaks about the restaurants in America. I love getting connected with the people of God around the globe to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I have been in the Pastoral ministry for last 39 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. We also encourage young and the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have you come to Mumbai to work with us during your vacation time. I am sure you will have a life changing experience. Looking forward to hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you, your family and friends also wishing you a blessed and a Christ centred rest of the year 2018. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede.
ReplyDelete