Genderising Food: Femininity and Masculinity in Food and the Cuisine

Abstract

Food is one of the most basic needs for people to sustain their lives. Individuals' food preferences vary according to gender as well as economic and cultural factors. It is seen that the meanings we attribute to food also change according to gender. From this point of view, this article seeks to answer the question “how is the gender of food formed within the framework of femininity and masculinity?”. This study, which is conducted as a literature review, aims to reveal how gender, femininity and masculinity make sense of food and how the gender of food is formed through the meanings we attribute to what we eat. For this purpose, the study explains how meat and meat dishes, vegetable and vegetable dishes, fruits and desserts are gendered according to gender perception within the framework of female and male identity by including the concept of identity. Identity is socially constructed and gender identities are within this scope. Masculinity and femininity are the result of certain behaviour patterns in society. Both the differences arising from the biological nature of human beings and social construction can be decisive here. This determination of gender has been demonstrated itself in many intersections. The differentiation of food preferences according to gender and the gender of food as an indicator are within this scope. It is seen that meat and meat products are attributed to masculinity and men, while foods such as vegetables, fruits and desserts are feminine and attributed to women. This differentiation is based on social institutions, language and status differentiation. The perception of gender has spread to discourses and spaces and turned into a situation that the person has internalised without realising it and has continued its existence from the past to the present. Power and power relations appear as a fundamental phenomenon in determining the gender of food and represent status. In this context, it has been observed that the element of power varied according to the identity of men and women, and power was associated with men and masculinity. In this context, meat is considered as an essential of male power. Meals consisting of meat and meat products are seen to symbolise concepts such as physical endurance and courage and are considered as necessary foods for men by being described as ‘heavy’ food. Men are perceived as strong and brave, and within the scope of this perception, meat and meat product dishes are associated with power and masculinity and are considered as foods that men consume and should consume. Women are perceived as gentle and weak by society. Therefore, low-calorie and ‘light’ meals are associated with women, who are socially perceived to be weaker than men. Vegetable-based foods are seen as foods that do not produce power or produce less power compared to meat, which should be consumed by women. These socially constructed gender perceptions play a role in shaping men's and women's food preferences, also, men and women consume more of certain foods according to gender perceptions. In conclusion, this study finds out that the food preferences of the genders change as a result of the meanings attributed to male and female identity and that the type of nutrition differs between men and women within the framework of these meanings. In addition, this study also shows that the methods of consumption of food also determine the male or female characters of food. Foods that are eaten by hand and broken with teeth are considered as masculine. These foods are the ones that can be consumed in large pieces. On the other hand, foods that are cut into small pieces are feminine. The seductive feature attributed to sweets is another dimension of their femininity.

Keywords

• identity
• food
• femininity
• masculinity
• gender

Yemeği Cinsiyetlendirmek: Yemekte ve Mutfakta Dişilik ve Erillik

Öz

Yemek, insanların hayatlarını sürdürebilmesi için en temel ihtiyaçlardan birisidir. Bireylerin yiyecek tercihleri ise ekonomik ve kültürel faktörlerin yanı sıra cinsiyet faktörüne göre de değişmektedir. Literatür değerlendirmesi şeklinde gerçekleştirilen bu çalışmada toplumsal cinsiyetin; kadınlığın ve erkekliğin, yemeği nasıl anlamlandırdığı ve yediklerimize atfettiğimiz anlamlar aracılığıyla yemeklerin de cinsiyetinin oluştuğu ortaya koyulmaya çalışılmıştır. Toplumsal ve kültürel olarak inşa edilen cinsiyet algısına göre yemekte de erkek ve kadın kimliğinin şekillendiği görülmüştür. Toplum nezdinde kadınlar, nazik ve zayıf; erkekler, güçlü ve cesur olarak algılanmaktadır. Bu algı kapsamında et ve et ürünü yemekler güç ve erkeklikle ilişkilendirilerek çoğunlukla erkeklerin tükettiği ve tüketmesi gereken besinler olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Sebze, meyve gibi düşük kalorili besinler ve tatlılar ise kadınsı olarak görülmekte ve kadınların tercih ettiği besinler olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Erkek ve kadın kimliğine yüklenen anlamlar neticesinde cinsiyetlerin yiyecek tercihlerinin değiştiği, bu anlamlar çerçevesinde erkekler ve kadınlar arasında beslenme çeşidinin farklılaştığı görülmüştür.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• kimlik
• yemek
• kadınlık
• erkeklik
• toplumsal cinsiyet

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