Chinese Food and the Family Research Assignment Paper (Essay Sample)

Chinese Food and the Family
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Introduction
Food and family are essential for well being of individuals. Families are composed of individuals who eat food. In essence, families and food play a vital role in improving the social, emotional and physical well being in life. In most cases, people assume food is meant to satisfy hunger. However, the role of food in the family stretches further beyond meeting the physical needs. Food is part of our families. In the Chinese society, food is essential in enhancing various beneficial aspects of the family. Family meal times help enhance family relationships, pass cultural practices and ways of life to young ones.
Role of Food in the Family
Means of passing culture to children
Foods in the family help parents pass cultural practices and beliefs to their children. Various cultural practices are passed down from parents to children through food preparation and eating. Through family mealtimes, Chinese children get to learn various developmental skills such as how to hold a cup, manipulate the chopsticks, acquire and develop language and furnish literacy skills mainly through the flow of conversation. Chinese people take filial piety as an important aspect of the society. This is enhanced during mealtimes. For example, children get to understand that elder members of the society are served food first. For instance, table talk is the main means through which young children get exposed to the value and nature of family conversation including how to express thoughts, feelings, ideas, complaints and emotions. In China, family food sharing is the universal channel for expressing family fellowship; embody key values such as duty, hospitality, responsibility, appreciation, sacrifice and empathy among children. Sharing meals is not only an opportunity to eat and fill stomachs but also talk of family issues, create bonds of attachment and strengthen familial relationships and friendship. Family members exchange anecdotes, news and stories over family meal times, family members to learn more about each other. Children get to learn about the interests and attitudes of elders. On the other hand, parents get to learn more about the interests of their children. During family mealtimes, parents get to understand the moods, attitudes and needs of their children and hence be in a position to identify and solve their problems. In China, family mealtimes are feted as supremely important aspects of family life.
Family Meals benefit Children
Family mealtimes provide priceless opportunities for socialization of children. Through family meals, children are introduced to the conventional rules and norms of what is considered as socially accepted behavior. In addition, family meals provide a prime setting for conveying to the children important family values and expectations. Moreover parents and seniors get the opportunity to teach school going children foods which are considered culturally acceptable (Fieldhouse, 2003). Children get to understand what is considered as food and what is regarded as non-food. In essence, family meal times provide family members with the opportunity teach children the various healthy food choices available to them cost effectively. Care givers teach and encourage children to take health food choices and behaviors through modeling. Child...