Ethnic and Regional Foodways in the United States: The Performance of Group Identity - Paperback

by Linda Keller Brown (Author), Kay Mussell (Contribution by)

" . . . provides valuable information for the specialist in American studies, and for the anthropologist or folklorist focusing on food use, and may also be of interest to the general reading audience. With such a wide appeal, the book may not only document the American romance with ethnic foods, but may contribute to it as well."
--Joanne Wagner, Anthropological Quarterly

How do customs surrounding the preparation and consumption of food define minorities within a population? The question receives fascinating and multifaceted answers in this book, which considers a smorgasbord of dishes that sustain group identity and often help to bridge intergroup barriers.
The essays explore the symbolic meaning of shared foodways in interpreting inter- and intragroup behavior, with attention to theoretical problems and the implications of foodways research for public policy. Topics receiving rewarding analysis in this volume include food festivals, modes of food preparation, meal cycles, seasonal celebrations, nutrition education, and the government's inattention to ethnic customs in formulating its food policies.

Author Biography

The Editors: Linda Keller Brown (1944-1984) specialized in developing American studies abroad. She served as an adviser to the American Council on Education and as a consultant to the Fulbright Commission of Japan.

Kay Mussell is professor emerita of literature and American Studies at American University. Her books include Women's Gothic and Romantic Fiction: A Reference Guide and Fantasy and Reconciliation: Contemporary Formulas of Women's Romance Fiction.