Eating Together The Culture Of Friday Family Dinner

Eating Together The Culture Of Friday Family Dinner Once in a few hours we think of food and chances are that we at least eat once per day. In the family setting food is easily accessible and for others it may be scarce because of the economy or the geography (Fieldhouse, 2008). At least, a large portion of families can afford what they want whenever they want while others must carefully plan on what they purchase. Nonetheless, no one can escape the biological need of food. This is to say that, everyone must eat at regular intervals whether the food is more or less nutritious. It is true that eating is a necessity of life itself but food also forms a crucial part of the cultural rituals and social relationships. Most importantly this paper addresses the family meal tradition as a symbol and material means of bringing family members together (Fieldhouse, 2008). Across different cultures and time, the aspect of food sharing is a universal medium that expresses fellowship in regards to the values of duty, sacrifice, hospitality and compa ssion. Food sharing is a gesture of friendship also symbolizing trust and interdependency. My family in particular views the Friday night dinner as a window into social bonding and relationship. As my father has always said, people you eat with define the members of your social group and the kind of food you share is a clear indication of the closeness of the relationships. For instance, there are coffee-breaks with colleagues, casual lunch or dinner with acquaintances, and of course informal dinner around the family table for family and friends. Perhaps a common picture that comes in our mind when it comes to the aspect of family dinner is a happy nuclear family with a mom, dad, and kids sitting in a nicely laid table. This is an image that perpetually describes my familys Friday night dinner. This is a tradition that my great grandparents firmly inspired as a cultural idea to be emulated as ultimate symbol of family stability and unity. This paper will look at the different roles of family members in the sustainability of Friday night family dinner examining the traditio n using the Freudian theory, the family theory, and ecological system theory. The paper also takes special considerations on the reflection of this tradition in regard to the influence on the future and its influence on the family. Family Dinner And Family Members The Purpose As a tradition, the family meal symbolizes a shared family life. Family dinner on Fridays in our family organizes the family bringing us together. This heavily contributes to our social well-being while providing predictable structure to our Fridays which is often psychologically reassuring. The success of family dinners depends on a number of factors such as the skills for preparing the food and food-buying (Fieldhouse, 2008). The appearance of the family table requires a lot of time and skilled activities that calls for both physical and mental decision making. In our family, everyone is involved in this activity; that applies to the food buying, preparations, laying the table, and serving. With our participation, it not surprising that the provision of this family meal is a symbolic demonstration that we care for our family unity and stability. This veers more on love, obedience, respect, and gratitude. From the shopping to table clearing, each family member participates in a resp onsible exercise that promotes solidarity in the family. For the longest time we havent experienced a family tension because we share a lot in our conversations at the dinner table. To The Parents During our family dinners my parents focuses on teaching us the way forward on behaviour and in particular civilized behaviour such as saying thank you and please. Excusing yourself before you the table, placing your elbows on the table, and talking on mouth full is normally discouraged. At this time, my parents taught us developmental skills such as manipulating chopsticks, literacy skills through family conversations when exchanging stories. This may seem sheepish but these are the basic fundamentals toward life and social interactions. During conversations, my parents learn more on our interests and attitudes. From these meals, my mother in particular gauges our moods and needs in the end help us solve our problems. My parents monitor the family and ensure that everyone attends to maintain the stability and unity in the family. To The children (Me) For the children the dinner table is crucial place for socialization (Fieldhouse, 2008). This is a prime setting for socialization concerning the norms and rules on family values, accepted behaviour, and expectations. From a nutritional perspective, the children learn what is considered acceptable; basically the foods and non-food. From the family dinners my siblings and I have learned manners and restraints on behaviour that the wider world requires. Through family conversations we learned of our parents attitudes and interests in relations to the world. We always help our mother prepare for the family dinner. As the eldest, I helped my mother prepare the foods and especially the vegetables and desert while my younger siblings have always prepared the table. Though a happy family, we have our setbacks. At the end of the day family members who are already tired after a busy day at work or school and probably maybe irritable meet for a family meal. Discord may arise perceived at the table maybe because of the unacceptable behaviour and injustices. Refusal to eat, complaint on bad cooking or lack of gratitude on what was served on the table are some of the things that can lead to these discord at the dining table. This can turn the peaceful mealtime into battlegrounds were verbal arguments are used as weapons which leads to a resentful silence. Therefore, family dinners have many positive virtues that are occasionally fought with difficulties and negative outcomes which greatly depend on the parenting styles. The Examination Freudian Theory Of Defense Mechanisms In psychology, Freuds input cannot be discredited in the psychodynamic theory. Even though people are no longer believing and utilizing many theories and conclusions, the basis of psychodynamic theory still form a role in theories in psychology. Frauds ego defense is one of the last remaining theories. This is also known as defense mechanism said to actively operate without the consent of the person. These defenses are significantly important when dealing with individuals inter threats. Typically, the ego defense pacts with the thoughts that are unconsciously threatening. Denial. This is perhaps the best known defense mechanism that describes situations where individuals are unable to acknowledge the obvious or face reality. This is the outright refusal to recognize what had happened or what is currently occurring. There was a time my brother and I boycotted the Friday family night dinner and we were hit the movies instead. This started bothering us as we kept thinking of the freshly made lasagne and the family conversations. We were defending ourselves from the happening of our family tradition but the realty soon checked in and we were unable to hold it anymore. Repression. On its basic form, this mechanism is self explanatory. The mechanism acts to keep the information away from the conscious awareness. Keep in mind that memories do not just disappear but they tend to continue influencing our behaviour in the future. For instance, my family and I have repressed memories of shared meals since my childhood which I intend to pass on to my kids. Fixation. This is the stunted movement that individuals feel between psychosexual stages when they experience excessive anxiety and frustration in regards to the next stage of progression. The individual remains fixed on a particular stage. My family and I are fixed to our Friday night dinner and the values it carries. This is a legacy that has been there since the times of my great grandparents. Displacement. This involves taking out the feelings, frustrations, and impulses on less threatening people and objects such as the spouse, pets, and children. A good example to this form of defense mechanism is displaced aggressive that would otherwise lead negative consequences such as urging with the supervisor and instead expressing the anger to people who are less threatening. I remember there was a time that my father had a bad day at work possibly from the pressures from the upper management passing this bitterness to us at the family table. The Theories Ecological Systems Theory (Human Ecology Theory) This theory states that the development of the human beings is inclined to the various types of ecological systems. Urie Bronfenbrenner formulated this theory to explain why we normally behave differently comparatively to how we behave in the presence of our family, work or at school. The human ecology theory accounts that throughout our lifespan we encounter dissimilar environments therefore influencing the way we behave in degrees that vary. These environments are: Micro system. This is the environment setting that we directly have in life such as the parents, friends, teachers, neighbours, and people who surrounds us. We directly have social interaction with these social agents in this setting. In this system, individuals are not passive recipients in regard to experiences, but interactive in the establishments of the social settings. In the course of the family dinner we interact with each other in the establishment of a harmonious family setting. Mesosystem. This involves the interaction of Microsystems in an individuals life. In other words, a work-related experience can be connected to the family experience. For instance, from the family dinners, my parents have taught me civilized manners and respect for others which have helped me establish positive attitude toward by siblings, peers, and teachers. This has also made me feel wanted by people who are actively involved in my life. The exosystem In this system there exists a link where an individual does not have any actively involving role and the context where he or she can actively participate. I am attached to my father than my mother and a few ago my father got a promotion and here and then he was travelling to Africa for a few months for work for several months. We all missed our father and during our Friday night dinner my mother spearheaded and listened to mealtime conversations sometimes she was supportive and sometimes she was not. In the end this made my bond with my even tighter because she was always there when my father was away. The macrosystem This is the actual culture of a person that involves the socioeconomic status of the individual, race, ethnicity, and most importantly the family. Being born in middle class family makes us hard workers and thus the reason why we meet as a family once in a week for dinner- Friday nights. The chronosystem This environment entails the shifts and transitions throughout our lifetime. This engages the socio-historical context influencing an individual. For instance, my great grandparents emphasized on family meals and culture that been passed over in different generations which has positively affected our lives, relationships and how we view the world. The family systems theory This is a theory that considers family as an emotional unit integrating systems thinking when describing complex interaction. For instance if there is anxiety among family members, the anxiety may escalate infectiously affecting all of them. And if this anxiety goes up, the connectedness of the members become stressful than comforting eventually making them feel isolated, out of control, and overwhelmed. Triangles `These are the basic units of stable relationships. These are a system that entails three-person relationships which is seen as the smallest building block of a larger emotional pool. There is no stability in a two-person system and therefore calls for a third party. This is because the tension keeps on shifting between two people is higher than the one involving a third person. When there is too much tension to be contained in one triangle it spreads to a series of interlocking triangles. This is what happens in our family dinner conversations. Sibling position In every family each sibling has a certain position which defines how the children will interact. This influences the childs behaviour and development which predictably have common characteristics. For instance, as the first born in my family i tend to gravitate the leadership position which makes my siblings the followers. During the family dinner meal, my siblings look at me to tell them what to do if i am the one preparing the meal.- who to prepare what or even shop. Differencing This is the capability of separating thinking and feelings. Undifferentiated individuals can separate the way of thinking and the feelings because their intellect is controlled by the way they feel. Thinks makes them not to think rationally while at the same time they are unable to differentiate their feelings form others. Therefore, differentiation is the abily to free yourself from the family, the realization of your involvement in a conflict and not blaming others, and being able to relate with others at emotionally. At times during our dinner times conflicts may arise but we have always solved it before it escalates. We admit to our faults and forgive each other which make us differential. The Reflection On The Tradition (1 page) Is it positive or negative? As a socially integrative function, a share meal brings people together in a web of reciprocal obligations and shared social relationships. Well, we suppose can say that one important aspect that brings people together is a family meal and if people do not gather for this family meal then the crucial weft of the family is sent to abyss (Fieldhouse, 2008). As a routine tradition, Friday family dinner has been most frequent planned ritual in our family which normally take place in our family house. The understanding over time The family meal and dinner in particular has come to represent the dynamics of the family and overtime generations are lamenting on its demise. As early as the 1920s, people were expressing worries on how the leisure activities such as the invention of the car came undermine the value of the family meals (Fieldhouse, 2008). In the times of change, family meals represented stability and perhaps the lament of the lost family may actually be the reactions to feared change in the arrangements and structures of families. The influence and the future In the olden days, dinner was seldom as a ceremonial event (Nancy, Carolina, Time, 2006).

Dropping of the Droppings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

In 1945, following the ending of World War II in Europe, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thereby ending World War II with Japan as well. This event has been controversial to the present day. With this controversy in mind, this research will analyze several aspects of this pivotal event in world history. Why Did the United States Decide to Drop the Bombs?Essentially, the US decided to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki not because of a lust for blood or an ego trip on the part of president Harry S. Truman, but simply because Japan held a mindset of victory or death. For Japan, that meant that if it was not possible to defeat the US in the war, the Japanese would kill as many American soldiers as possible. This was achieved through the massive deployment of the kamikaze, suicide warriors who would fly their aircraft into American warships, strap explosives to their bodies and tackle American soldiers, or employ any number o f other suicide techniques in order to kill US troops (Newman, 1995).Therefore, Truman chose to use the atomic bomb in an ironic way to save many more lives in the long term by using one powerful weapon to blast the Japanese into submission. Results of the Event on the United States and the World For the US, the dropping of the atomic bomb sent a powerful message to the rest of the world that this nation would not be intimidated or tolerate any aggression against it. The dropping of the atomic bomb meant years of painful physical and mental effects for the Japanese people.For the world, this pivotal event signaled the beginning of a nuclear arms race, which erupts in some ways to this day. Conclusion What is seen in the tale of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in conclusion are lessons about the price of war, the quest for healing, and the realization that nuclear war is an option that must be carefully considered, lest it become too common a solution for the problems of the world. Works Cit ed Newman, R. P. (1995). Truman and the Hiroshima Cult. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press.

Excerpt “On Nonconformity” from Shape of Content by Ben Shahn

â€Å"Nonconformity is the basic pre-condition of art, as it is the pre-condition of good thinking and therefore of growth and greatness in a people†¦conformity is derived from the wholly venal business of catering to a popular market† (The Shape of Content, Ben Shahn). This piece of writing speaks of how the general public is in love with works of art, yet at the same time loathes the artists that created them, merely for being a little different than the norm. If art was about â€Å"cookie-cutter† design, then according to the eading, we should all be living in a place similar to Soviet Russia. Yes, it is extremely important to lift up and honor the Working Man, but it is wrong to tear apart art movements due to government, religion, sex, race, creed and so on. Art is something which comes from the soul and nonconformity helps to rip these few individualists away from the so-called commoners. Nonconformists explain reality in a way in which is hardly ever describ ed properly. Truthfully.Why over so many years in history were nonconformists persecuted? Did the witch burning public run out of actual threats like invasion from a foreign country or the economy, or health care? Still the artist (nonconformist) pushes forward and creates despite the enterprise of trials and tribunals. A favored line was about a modern day politician that tried to have a design on a boat sail made illegal, yet it turned out to be a legal design created and copyrighted for the Los Angeles Yacht Club.

The Drawbacks Of Anabolic Steroids - 1384 Words

The Drawbacks of Anabolic Steroids and Why They Should Stay Illegal Anabolic steroids have been used and taken by humans for over half a century. The effects they provide have developed large ongoing debates as to whether these substances should be allowed to the general public. Anabolic steroid in short provide the human body a much grander potential to build muscle by helping the cells within the body produce more muscle fibers at an astonishing rate that could never be achieved naturally. Many issues have arisen like health problems relating to these drugs have stirred studies like that â€Å"Eighty-three percent of steroid users in a study had a low pumping capacity that was linked to increased risk of heart failure and sudden cardiac†¦show more content†¦In 1975 performance enhancing drugs were made illegal in and out of sports. I believe anabolic steroids should remain illegal due to the the profound negative effects they provide from health related risk to unfair competition in sports caused by these drugs. Anabolic steroids provide the benefit of increased muscle mass but at a cost of endangering your healthy both physically and mentally. To understand this issue we first need to look at the common side effects provided with these drugs. Severe acne, increased risk of tendinitis, liver problems, tumors, high cholesterol, high blood pressure leading to hypertension, heart and circulatory problems and infections such as HIV or hepatitis. These are just a few of the main health issues associated with the drugs but a list literally a page long would still not cover all the health issues associated with steroids. Steroids have even resulted in more severe problems where one study showed that â€Å"there was an 11% increase in chance of death found from steroid use†(Dosomething). 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