AFFORDANCE CONTINUED

Affordance continued on from last weeks tutorial. This time discussing the aesthetics, spiritualy and history of cooking.

"We turn the consumption of food, a biological necessity, into a carefully cultured phenomenon.  We use eating as a medium for social relationships:  satisfaction of the most individual of needs becomes the means of creating community" (Visser,2011). This is a fantastic quote said by Visser taken from a powerpoint in participation in occupation I. This states that, although food is a necessity, we use it as an excuse to bring people together, creating friendships etc, not for the pure reason of needing it for survival.

 “Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty.” (Aesthetics, 2011). In relation to food, this is obviously very significant as food can be portrayed as a form of art. From cakes to exquisite meals, food can be sculptured into a magnificent piece of artwork or set on the plate in an interesting way. Food, of course, has different flavors, smells etc. This is all the things that make it appealing to the person eating it. If these things don’t appeal to the consumer, they will not enjoy it. When preparing a meal it is important to take these factors into consideration as this is what will satisfy you.

Another factor is the environment. For both the cooking and consuming process, the environment is an important factor. The environment the person is cooking in can alter their performance. For example, if the person was to cook in a kitchen with no power and just a coal range when they usually cook in a fully functional kitchen, this will refrain them from cooking to the best of their ability. Also, the environment where the food is consumed is equally important. If the environment is noisy or loud making it uncomfortable, the people consuming the food will not enjoy it as they would in a comfortable environment.

If we were to look at spirituality when cooking or preparing a meal, the most important factor to me would be the sense of meaning it provides. Cooking a meal for someone is a way of showing them that you accept them and care for them as you are willing to provide nutritional support for their body. Meals can be prepared for people out of thoughtfulness, for example, for someone in bereavement, going through a divorce, ill etc. The person who prepared the meal will gain a sense of meaning as they will have helped someone in need. Crepeau describes it as the fundamental of a persons life; that which motivates and inspires that individual. In this case, the person giving the food will gain satisfaction and have more incentive to continue doing this.

I have had quite a normal history of cooking and preparing meals. Like many other people, my mother and my grandmother taught me how to cook. In my opinion, it is a very special thing to get the opportunity to learn off family members the ideas and personal ways they have when cooking/preparing meals. It is important because it allows traditions to be passed down generations with meanings behind them. For example, my great grandmother had a special recipe for banana loaf, this was taught to my grandmother who taught my mother and now my mother has taught me. This is a very special loaf that is only made on special occasions. I feel privileged that I have the opportunity to pass this on to my off spring (in a few years of course!).

Aesthetics. (2011, October 19). Retrieved October 20, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesthetics

Crepeau, E. (1994). A way of thinking about occupational performance. Analyzing occupation and activity , 190.

Visser, M. (2011, September 12). Participation in occupation 2. Food/labour .