Ethnography of the Kitchen
attention: this is not a real ethnography, it's more a creative writing. Although these are real instances and real people, i took no notes and made no interviews. the conclusions i drew are MEANT to be silly and ridiculous. read this as it is, make nothing of it.
It seems, according to the findings of this ethnographic study that vegetarianism may allow for greater equality and a loss of traditional gender roles within the household. While following the daily cooking routine of a young college couple living in Santa Cruz, I discovered an interesting and telling story of an escalating phenomenon some are calling “equality”. This equality is different from that of the 50s when Martin Luther King shouted about his dreams, it’s an equality that is more deeply embedded in the daily routine and subconscious of households around the world. This inequality doesn’t necessarily harm or help any member of society; it’s merely a residue of times past.
The particular kitchen used in this study is not especially different from any other college student’s. There is a sink, a dish rack for drying, microwave and toaster, a small stove and oven and almost no food (healthy or otherwise) in the refrigerator. As it is situated, the kitchen is completely attached to the living room and the living room to the bedroom. There is nothing private or unseen in this (what they call a) studio apartment except the goings on in the restroom. As such, there is no activity in the kitchen that isn’t seen, discussed or otherwise involved in some way with the rest of the apartment.
There are two people living in this studio, a female UCSC student of twenty-three years called Ashley and a male of the same age who recently arrived from Mexico, Antonio. One would expect, given the Mexican patriarchal society we’ve read about, that Antonio would run this household, however, this apartment is run is a very equal manner with neither owning more responsibility than the other. I will layout a common morning routine to more clearly explain myself. Ashley wakes up first, showers and dresses and just as she is ready to make breakfast, Antonio has finished making the bed. She asks him if he would like breakfast, to which he declines. While he showers and shaves, she makes herself a light breakfast and eats it quickly. Once he is through getting ready, he is hungry and makes himself breakfast. I attribute this occurrence to the fact that Ashley is a vegetarian and Antonio is not. She knows nothing about meat, and leaves that to him. Likewise, Antonio knows nothing about vegetarianism, aside from what Ashley has taught him, and thus has no need or ability to fetch her food and since Ashley knows nothing about cooking meat, she has no need or ability to do so. The gender roles are broken and each fends for himself, Ashley sometimes teaching Antonio about vegetarian dishes and Antonio keeping his meat on one side of the refrigerator, never to touch Ashley’s tofu.
Dinnertime gives more insight into this theory. The couple makes dinner together, usually sharing dishes made by the both of them. Ashley, for example cooks the rice and soup while Antonio prepares his meat and chops vegetables. Sharing food preparation responsibilities creates an equal plane. Neither thinks themselves better than the other. A conversation about politics, society, movies, sex, cartoons or getting a job finally may pass the time. One night, while cooking dinner, the two exchange advice on where to look for a job. “Funds are running out, and fast,” Ashley tells Antonio, the reply, “should I chop more onions or is this enough?” She tells him that at this point in the game any job is a good job and advises him to apply at the bakery he was told about a few days past and he reminds her of different places boasting “Hiring” signs. This type of exchange comes about in society when the woman no longer feels obligated to only serve her man and when the man no longer feels the need to “be the man”. Equality is based on both serving and helping not only each other, but also themselves. Ashley and Antonio share the mealtime responsibilities such as meal choices, shopping, chopping and cooking.
Cleaning isn’t excluded from this practice. Anther example lies in the after-dinner ritual. Ashley is a very clean cook. She uses small amounts of oil, places utensils on plates or napkins so as not to dirty the counter (or contaminate the food with counter germs), and puts away ingredients as she uses them. Antonio, on the other hand is a messy cook. He uses large amounts of everything from oil to meat and herbs. He puts utensils on the countertops, allows food to spill over the pots and pans and uses many, many dishes. After all is said and done, however and bellies are full, Antonio cleans his mess without complaint and Ashley helps put things away.
There is one discrepancy with this theory that I’ve found and as a good ethnographer, I feel obliged to discuss possible reasoning for. Every day of this investigation, Ashley has done the dishes sometimes several times a day. Antonio has not once touched the dirty plates in the sink. At first glance, I was shocked and thrown off guard; I was convinced that there was complete equality in this house and yet, the woman was obligated to the dirty dishes. I believe, luckily, however that this hiccup in my theory has been addressed in a recent conversation I overheard after dinner one night. Ashley made a sarcastic comment to Antonio about his messy cooking and abundant dish use, to which Antonio spat sarcastically, “if you would let me wash the dishes, I would”. Ashley’s response was (almost reprimanding) “wash them with hot water, and they are all yours, bud”. I’m led to believe that the dishes are less Ashley’s responsibility and more her personal sanitation preferences. Ashley feels more comfortable that the dishes will be washed correctly if they are done in hot water rather than Antonio’s preferred warm or cold water.
In many, many households around the world, women cook, clean and serve their men while the men earn money and provide security for their female partner. This tradition is being broken down ever so slowly within the modern households of college student couples around the world. It is possible that rising vegetarianism may be behind the recent decline of inequality in the kitchen. Without the ability for the vegetarian woman to cook meat for her carnivorous man, the man is forced to cook for himself. This makes for an eye-opening experience, allowing the man and the woman to communicate over simmering soup and frying pork. Men, being newly humbled, realize the mess they make and clean it up themselves while women do the same. I believe this trend is spreading fast; men and women are no longer strangers in the kitchen, they are becoming friends.
It seems, according to the findings of this ethnographic study that vegetarianism may allow for greater equality and a loss of traditional gender roles within the household. While following the daily cooking routine of a young college couple living in Santa Cruz, I discovered an interesting and telling story of an escalating phenomenon some are calling “equality”. This equality is different from that of the 50s when Martin Luther King shouted about his dreams, it’s an equality that is more deeply embedded in the daily routine and subconscious of households around the world. This inequality doesn’t necessarily harm or help any member of society; it’s merely a residue of times past.
The particular kitchen used in this study is not especially different from any other college student’s. There is a sink, a dish rack for drying, microwave and toaster, a small stove and oven and almost no food (healthy or otherwise) in the refrigerator. As it is situated, the kitchen is completely attached to the living room and the living room to the bedroom. There is nothing private or unseen in this (what they call a) studio apartment except the goings on in the restroom. As such, there is no activity in the kitchen that isn’t seen, discussed or otherwise involved in some way with the rest of the apartment.
There are two people living in this studio, a female UCSC student of twenty-three years called Ashley and a male of the same age who recently arrived from Mexico, Antonio. One would expect, given the Mexican patriarchal society we’ve read about, that Antonio would run this household, however, this apartment is run is a very equal manner with neither owning more responsibility than the other. I will layout a common morning routine to more clearly explain myself. Ashley wakes up first, showers and dresses and just as she is ready to make breakfast, Antonio has finished making the bed. She asks him if he would like breakfast, to which he declines. While he showers and shaves, she makes herself a light breakfast and eats it quickly. Once he is through getting ready, he is hungry and makes himself breakfast. I attribute this occurrence to the fact that Ashley is a vegetarian and Antonio is not. She knows nothing about meat, and leaves that to him. Likewise, Antonio knows nothing about vegetarianism, aside from what Ashley has taught him, and thus has no need or ability to fetch her food and since Ashley knows nothing about cooking meat, she has no need or ability to do so. The gender roles are broken and each fends for himself, Ashley sometimes teaching Antonio about vegetarian dishes and Antonio keeping his meat on one side of the refrigerator, never to touch Ashley’s tofu.
Dinnertime gives more insight into this theory. The couple makes dinner together, usually sharing dishes made by the both of them. Ashley, for example cooks the rice and soup while Antonio prepares his meat and chops vegetables. Sharing food preparation responsibilities creates an equal plane. Neither thinks themselves better than the other. A conversation about politics, society, movies, sex, cartoons or getting a job finally may pass the time. One night, while cooking dinner, the two exchange advice on where to look for a job. “Funds are running out, and fast,” Ashley tells Antonio, the reply, “should I chop more onions or is this enough?” She tells him that at this point in the game any job is a good job and advises him to apply at the bakery he was told about a few days past and he reminds her of different places boasting “Hiring” signs. This type of exchange comes about in society when the woman no longer feels obligated to only serve her man and when the man no longer feels the need to “be the man”. Equality is based on both serving and helping not only each other, but also themselves. Ashley and Antonio share the mealtime responsibilities such as meal choices, shopping, chopping and cooking.
Cleaning isn’t excluded from this practice. Anther example lies in the after-dinner ritual. Ashley is a very clean cook. She uses small amounts of oil, places utensils on plates or napkins so as not to dirty the counter (or contaminate the food with counter germs), and puts away ingredients as she uses them. Antonio, on the other hand is a messy cook. He uses large amounts of everything from oil to meat and herbs. He puts utensils on the countertops, allows food to spill over the pots and pans and uses many, many dishes. After all is said and done, however and bellies are full, Antonio cleans his mess without complaint and Ashley helps put things away.
There is one discrepancy with this theory that I’ve found and as a good ethnographer, I feel obliged to discuss possible reasoning for. Every day of this investigation, Ashley has done the dishes sometimes several times a day. Antonio has not once touched the dirty plates in the sink. At first glance, I was shocked and thrown off guard; I was convinced that there was complete equality in this house and yet, the woman was obligated to the dirty dishes. I believe, luckily, however that this hiccup in my theory has been addressed in a recent conversation I overheard after dinner one night. Ashley made a sarcastic comment to Antonio about his messy cooking and abundant dish use, to which Antonio spat sarcastically, “if you would let me wash the dishes, I would”. Ashley’s response was (almost reprimanding) “wash them with hot water, and they are all yours, bud”. I’m led to believe that the dishes are less Ashley’s responsibility and more her personal sanitation preferences. Ashley feels more comfortable that the dishes will be washed correctly if they are done in hot water rather than Antonio’s preferred warm or cold water.
In many, many households around the world, women cook, clean and serve their men while the men earn money and provide security for their female partner. This tradition is being broken down ever so slowly within the modern households of college student couples around the world. It is possible that rising vegetarianism may be behind the recent decline of inequality in the kitchen. Without the ability for the vegetarian woman to cook meat for her carnivorous man, the man is forced to cook for himself. This makes for an eye-opening experience, allowing the man and the woman to communicate over simmering soup and frying pork. Men, being newly humbled, realize the mess they make and clean it up themselves while women do the same. I believe this trend is spreading fast; men and women are no longer strangers in the kitchen, they are becoming friends.