ABSTRACT
Food preparation and dietary practices have rarely been studied by sociologists, although they hold great potential for an understanding of gendered social relations, knowledge construction, and cultural identity in communities. Because this area of work and cultural activity traditionally has been viewed as a “natural role” for women, its value has not been acknowledged seriously or appreciated in the production of cultural knowledge systems (Smith 1987, 18–19). Analysis of the relationship between women and food preparation practices, however, can broaden our understanding of the construction and maintenance of tradition in culturally defined systems, a neglected aspect of the study of social organization within the discipline of sociology. Feminist studies show that examination of this aspect of women’s work clarifies the character and significance of women’s household activities (DeVault 1991; Oakley 1974). Even though food preparation perpetuates relations of gender inequality in the household, under given circumstances it can provide a valued identity, a source of empowerment for women, and a means to perpetuate group survival (DeVault 1991, 232),
