ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE CITY
FOOD & Sociality
Yessica Rodriguez
Urban foodways are shaped by social networks of purchasing, preparation, and consumption.
Purchasing
•Purchasing groceries at local shops in New York City neighborhoods are shaped by social networks. Locals from the neighborhood purchasing at local shops are getting so much more than just groceries. In the shops, people are exchanging stories about their day, family, and special recipes. The local supermarket on 109th and Amsterdam is the perfect place for catching up while stocking up on groceries.
•“Los Vecinos Supermarket” creates a safe place for locals to feel at home while making their daily trip to shop.
•Rosaura Garcia has lived in the neighborhood for over 30 years. Stopping by “ Los Vecinos Supermarket” is part of her daily routine. Rosaura explains, “ I have been shopping at this shop for over twenty years. I will continue shopping here because I do not trust buying meat anywhere else. The men working at this shop have become my family, therefore I will continue to shop here”.
•Most of the customers shopping at “ Los Vecinos Supermarket” are loyal customers for over 20 years. People are connecting and catching up as they shop at the local shop.
•Purchasing groceries at local shops in New York City neighborhoods are shaped by social networks. Locals from the neighborhood purchasing at local shops are getting so much more than just groceries. In the shops, people are exchanging stories about their day, family, and special recipes. The local supermarket on 109th and Amsterdam is the perfect place for catching up while stocking up on groceries.
•“Los Vecinos Supermarket” creates a safe place for locals to feel at home while making their daily trip to shop.
•Rosaura Garcia has lived in the neighborhood for over 30 years. Stopping by “ Los Vecinos Supermarket” is part of her daily routine. Rosaura explains, “ I have been shopping at this shop for over twenty years. I will continue shopping here because I do not trust buying meat anywhere else. The men working at this shop have become my family, therefore I will continue to shop here”.
•Most of the customers shopping at “ Los Vecinos Supermarket” are loyal customers for over 20 years. People are connecting and catching up as they shop at the local shop.
http://lidernoticias.com.ar/caminamos-con-los-vecinos-a-billinghurst/
•“ The importance of the local place as experienced by consumers is paramount to acts of buying food even as these acts are subsumed within ordinary and overlooked practices of the everyday” ( Blake 1)
•Shopping at the local place is vital to locals living in a neighborhood. Grocery shopping is an act which occurs almost every single day. A local place where people shop is more than a site on a map ( Blake 1). It is a place where memories and connections are formed. Purchasing groceries at a local shop is a never ending experience.
•“ A local place is not just a site on the map but should be made of up discourses that are sometimes conflicting institutions and their interpretations, and memories and connections, all of which are shaped by the movements of goods and people into and out of a particular locality” (Blake 1).
•Shopping at the local place is vital to locals living in a neighborhood. Grocery shopping is an act which occurs almost every single day. A local place where people shop is more than a site on a map ( Blake 1). It is a place where memories and connections are formed. Purchasing groceries at a local shop is a never ending experience.
•“ A local place is not just a site on the map but should be made of up discourses that are sometimes conflicting institutions and their interpretations, and memories and connections, all of which are shaped by the movements of goods and people into and out of a particular locality” (Blake 1).
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Preparation
The preparation of food, helps shape urban floodways. Traditions and cultures are linked together during the preparations of dishes. Preparing traditional dishes is common among family and friends. The preparation becomes an actual event where everyone comes together. Traditional meals are passed down from one generation to the other. A few of those traditional meals among my family include habichuela con dulce ( sweet beans), pernil ( pork), mangu ( plantains), moro de guandule con coco ( rice and peas with coconut milk). Each meal has a special significance. Habichula con dulce is always made and consumed on Good Friday. A tradition that not only my family carries on but other Dominican families as well. Moro de guandule and pernil are key dishes which are prepared during the holidays. Mangu is a special traditional meal which is prepared for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. During the preparation of each meal- everyone comes together to share stories and tips on how to improve the dish.
The preparation of food, helps shape urban floodways. Traditions and cultures are linked together during the preparations of dishes. Preparing traditional dishes is common among family and friends. The preparation becomes an actual event where everyone comes together. Traditional meals are passed down from one generation to the other. A few of those traditional meals among my family include habichuela con dulce ( sweet beans), pernil ( pork), mangu ( plantains), moro de guandule con coco ( rice and peas with coconut milk). Each meal has a special significance. Habichula con dulce is always made and consumed on Good Friday. A tradition that not only my family carries on but other Dominican families as well. Moro de guandule and pernil are key dishes which are prepared during the holidays. Mangu is a special traditional meal which is prepared for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. During the preparation of each meal- everyone comes together to share stories and tips on how to improve the dish.
Picture taken by: Yessica Rodriguez
Image: http://lamieldelavida.blogspot.com/2009/03/origen-de-las-habicuelas-con-dulce-de.html
Photo taken by: Yessica Rodriguez
Photo taken by: Yessica Rodriguez
•Interview : Denise Rodriguez
•Denise has been living on the Upper West Side her entire life ( 30 years). Denise explains because she made a switch to vegan in the last year, home cooked meals are common in the household. Denise states, “ Although this neighborhood is great with all the different food choices, I prefer to cook my own meal because I know exactly which ingredients are used” ( Rodriguez). Denise also explains that growing up, although home cooked meals were common, sitting down together and interacting with her family was not.
•Concluding thoughts: “ preparing dinner with my boyfriend is the highlight of my day, not only are we cooking together but we are also sitting down at the table and consuming it” (Rodriguez).
•Denise has been living on the Upper West Side her entire life ( 30 years). Denise explains because she made a switch to vegan in the last year, home cooked meals are common in the household. Denise states, “ Although this neighborhood is great with all the different food choices, I prefer to cook my own meal because I know exactly which ingredients are used” ( Rodriguez). Denise also explains that growing up, although home cooked meals were common, sitting down together and interacting with her family was not.
•Concluding thoughts: “ preparing dinner with my boyfriend is the highlight of my day, not only are we cooking together but we are also sitting down at the table and consuming it” (Rodriguez).
Consumption
The consumption shapes urban foodways by bringing people together. Consuming food together brings both family and friends together. Various conversations come up while sitting down at the dinner table and consuming food together.People take time out of their day to sit down and have a meal with family.
Interview: Melissa Cuello
Melissa grew up on the upper west side in the early 1980's. In a household of 6, family meals was a routine. During holidays, special meals were made such as pernil and moro de guandule. The most important meal of the day at the household was dinner. Dinner was served around 7:00 pm. Melissas' mother cooked in abundance just in case unexpected guests arrived. Most of the time neighbors and friends would join Melissa and her family for dinner. Sitting down together formed long lasting bonds with family and friends in the neighborhood. Melissa makes sure to sit down at the dinner table with her family during dinnertime.
Present: Thoughts on food consumption today
Melissa explains, " It's difficult nowadays because my daughter wants to be on three different gadgets but I make sure none are present during dinner" (Cuello).
- " Back when there was no social media or cell phones, people came together a lot more during meals but I am seeing that less as time goes by" ( Cuello).
- "The only time I witness people coming together and sitting down for a meal is during holidays- other than that its people doing their own thing" ( Cuello).
Past: Thoughts on food consumption before
-" I remember a lot more conversations with my family members when I was growing up in the 80's and early 90's, now there are so many distractions "
-" My mother used to cook in huge pots and I remember so many people in the building and neighborhood would join us for dinner"
- " People back in the day knew the value of consuming a meal together as a family".
Concluding thoughts:
- "I do hope people start realizing how vital that time at the dinner table with family and friends are" (Cuello).
The consumption shapes urban foodways by bringing people together. Consuming food together brings both family and friends together. Various conversations come up while sitting down at the dinner table and consuming food together.People take time out of their day to sit down and have a meal with family.
Interview: Melissa Cuello
Melissa grew up on the upper west side in the early 1980's. In a household of 6, family meals was a routine. During holidays, special meals were made such as pernil and moro de guandule. The most important meal of the day at the household was dinner. Dinner was served around 7:00 pm. Melissas' mother cooked in abundance just in case unexpected guests arrived. Most of the time neighbors and friends would join Melissa and her family for dinner. Sitting down together formed long lasting bonds with family and friends in the neighborhood. Melissa makes sure to sit down at the dinner table with her family during dinnertime.
Present: Thoughts on food consumption today
Melissa explains, " It's difficult nowadays because my daughter wants to be on three different gadgets but I make sure none are present during dinner" (Cuello).
- " Back when there was no social media or cell phones, people came together a lot more during meals but I am seeing that less as time goes by" ( Cuello).
- "The only time I witness people coming together and sitting down for a meal is during holidays- other than that its people doing their own thing" ( Cuello).
Past: Thoughts on food consumption before
-" I remember a lot more conversations with my family members when I was growing up in the 80's and early 90's, now there are so many distractions "
-" My mother used to cook in huge pots and I remember so many people in the building and neighborhood would join us for dinner"
- " People back in the day knew the value of consuming a meal together as a family".
Concluding thoughts:
- "I do hope people start realizing how vital that time at the dinner table with family and friends are" (Cuello).
Contrasting views:
How about the people who do not have time or family network to have a home cooked meal?
How about the people who do not have time or family network to have a home cooked meal?
•Washington Post contributor Roberto A. Ferdman states, “ less than 60 percent of suppers served at home were actually cooked at home last year. Only 30 years ago, the percentage was closer to 75 percent” (Ferdman). More people are relying on eating out and takeout. It seems to be that which each passing year people are cooking less. Places such as Dig Inn, West Side supermarket and Trader Joes is making the transition effortless.
•Interview at Dig Inn: Meghan Green recently moved to the Upper West Side. She is a student at Columbia University. Meghan admits she eats at Dig Inn five times out of the week. Green explains, “ This semester was one of the busiest ones and because of that I don’t have time to cook. Meghan is originally from Michigan, not having her family in town has been tough on her. Green explains, “ I am used to having a home cooked meal every single day, I cannot even tell you the amount of money I spend here”. Students such as Meghan end up spending hundreds of dollars a year because of the limited time and social network.
•Interview at Westside supermarket: Vashni De Leon
•Vashni De Leon is about to finish her second semester at Barnard College. She is originally from Florida and has always dreamed of moving to New York City. De Leon states, “ I enjoy living in this neighborhood because there are so many food options, I can literally walk out of my dorm at 1:00 am and pick up a meal at Westside”. Vashni explains that lack of time is the reason why cooking a meal at home is close to impossible. The free time she has during work and school is used up to study in the library.
•I observed many of the people picking up cooked meals at Westside supermarket were students from either Columbia or Barnard. My observation was confirmed when more than ten people paid with their school ID.
•Places such as Dig Inn and Westside supermarket make meals accessible to people who do not have the time to cook at home.
Meal from Dig Inn:
Happy valley meat balls
quinoa
seasonal upstate mac and cheese
avocado
Price: $ 12.00
Happy valley meat balls
quinoa
seasonal upstate mac and cheese
avocado
Price: $ 12.00
Westside Super market
•The graph above shows the drop in dinners eaten at home that were actually cooked at home. Ferdman explains, “ Between the mid-1960’s and late 2000s, low-income households went from eating at home 95 percent of the time to only 72 percent of the time, middle income households went from earning at home 92 percent of the time to 69 percent of the time, and high-income households went from eating at home 88 percent of the time to only 64 percent of the time” (Fredman).
•All of the people I interviewed at Dig Inn and West Side supermarket explained that their main reason for not having a home cooked meal was because of the lack of time. Many students are working and attending school full time. Places such as Dig Inn and West Side Supermarket provide meals which have a "home cooked" feel to them.
•All of the people I interviewed at Dig Inn and West Side supermarket explained that their main reason for not having a home cooked meal was because of the lack of time. Many students are working and attending school full time. Places such as Dig Inn and West Side Supermarket provide meals which have a "home cooked" feel to them.
•The Graph above shows how social class has not had an impact recently on why less people are having home cooked meals. Low, middle, and high income people are spending more time eating away from their home. Between 1960-1965 low income people had a home cooked meal 95 percent of the time. That percent dropped to 72 percent during the years of 2007-2008 (Fredman).
•The middle income group also dropped substantially between the early 1960’s and early 2000’s. During 1960-1965 middle income people had a home cooked meal 92 percent of the time. That percent dropped to 66 percent during 2007-2008 ( Fredman).
•The middle income group also dropped substantially between the early 1960’s and early 2000’s. During 1960-1965 middle income people had a home cooked meal 92 percent of the time. That percent dropped to 66 percent during 2007-2008 ( Fredman).
•Conclusion:
•Urban food ways are shaped by social networks of purchasing, preparation, and consumption. After interviewing everyone I realized how many people are living fast paced lives on the Upper West Side. Students who are studying out of state were the ones who bought meals in places such as Dig Inn and Westside Supermarket. I do agree with a lot of the interviewers that the Upper Westside does indeed have a variety of places to eat out at. But I realized that the older generation living in the neighborhood make it a priority to cook every day. For example Rosaura explained to me that she cannot remember the last time she ate outside of her home. People such as Rosaura have incorporated cooking into their day to day routine.
•While others such as Vashni and Meghan are not able to dedicate time out of their day to cook. Interactions among customers at Dig Inn and Westside Supermarket were close to non existent. On the other hand, the majority of people shopping at Los vecinos supermarket all interacted with each other.
This project made me realize how vital sitting down and having a home cooked meal with family is. It also made me understand the point of view of people who do not have the time or social network to prepare a home cooked meal.
•Urban food ways are shaped by social networks of purchasing, preparation, and consumption. After interviewing everyone I realized how many people are living fast paced lives on the Upper West Side. Students who are studying out of state were the ones who bought meals in places such as Dig Inn and Westside Supermarket. I do agree with a lot of the interviewers that the Upper Westside does indeed have a variety of places to eat out at. But I realized that the older generation living in the neighborhood make it a priority to cook every day. For example Rosaura explained to me that she cannot remember the last time she ate outside of her home. People such as Rosaura have incorporated cooking into their day to day routine.
•While others such as Vashni and Meghan are not able to dedicate time out of their day to cook. Interactions among customers at Dig Inn and Westside Supermarket were close to non existent. On the other hand, the majority of people shopping at Los vecinos supermarket all interacted with each other.
This project made me realize how vital sitting down and having a home cooked meal with family is. It also made me understand the point of view of people who do not have the time or social network to prepare a home cooked meal.
Works Cited:
Dig Inn: https://www.diginn.com/
Ethnographic interview with Rosaura Garica. New York, NY. Date: December 5, 2017.
Ethnographic interview with Denise Rodriguez. New York, NY. Date November 2, 2017.
Ethnographic interview with Melissa Cuello. New York, NY. Date November 17, 2017.
Ethnographic interview with Meghan Green. New York, NY. Date December 8, 2017.
Ethnographic interview with Vashni De Leon. New York, NY. Date December 8, 2017.
Fegan, Robert. “ The place of food: mapping out the ‘local’ in local food systems” . Vol 31. pp 23-42. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0309132507073527
Image 1: •https://goo.gl/images/6J4JX7
Image2:•isch&sa=1&ei=cb0yWrOhKu6jggfTpp_IAw&q=los+vecinos+supermarket&oqhttps://www.google.com/search?biw=1005&bih=587&tbm==los+vecinos+super&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.0i24k1.13977.17668.0.18579.17.12.0.5.5.0.121.989.8j3.11.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.16.1104...0j0i67k1j0i30k1j0i5i30k1j0i8i30k1.0.ClmoC5VeVQs#imgrc=JKcA7tUyRAu0c
Image 3: •http://lidernoticias.com.ar/caminamos-con-los-vecinos-a-billinghurst/
Image 4:•Image: http://lamieldelavida.blogspot.com/2009/03/origen-de-las-habicuelas-con-dulce-de.html
Image 5: https://goo.gl/images/faoZgV
Image 6: https://www.diginn.com/
Image 7: https://goo.gl/images/TJUFLs
Image 8: https://goo.gl/images/kh6rDZ
•Mellor Jody, Crane Lucy, Blake K. Megan. “ Buying Local Food: Shopping Practices, Place, and Consumption Networks in Defining Food as ‘local’” Vol(100) 409-426
•Fredman A. Roberto. Washington Post. “ The slow death of the home-cooked meal”. March 5,2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/05/the-slow-death-of-the-home-cooked-meal/?utm_term=.49e4e8697958
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