Introduction
Examining the history of humanity’s sugar consumption can offer valuable insights into the structure of modern society. Although diet and nutrition are typically associated with fulfilling an individual’s physical needs, studies suggest that various social norms and principles influence nutrition systems that are not directly related to physiological needs. For example, the ban on meat from domestic animals such as horses and dogs in some countries has no connection with the usefulness of its consumption. On the contrary, horse meat can be considered a healthier alternative to beef due to its lower fat content. However, horse slaughter for food purposes and the sale of horse meat for consumption are prohibited in the United States.
Another interesting moment can be defined by social norms regarding people who lack cooking skills. Despite the abundance of ready-made meals, the lack of cooking skills is considered a weakness in modern society. This essay will explore the connection between food production and natural conditions by examining Marshall Sahlins’ perspective on humans’ biological tendency to prefer sweet and fatty foods.
Human Biological Tendency to Like Comfort Foods
Firstly, it is essential to define the anthropological perspective on sugar’s widespread consumption in contemporary society. The attractiveness of sugar to modern people is explained by the fact that, since the beginning of human evolution, people have considered sugar a rich source of calories. Nowadays, sugar can be found in various products, such as ketchup, to increase their attractiveness to buyers and promote more sales.
Finding sweet products such as berries and fruits allowed ancient people to satisfy their physiological needs and live longer than their competitors. Much later in history, during a time when the bourgeoisie dominated society, the use of sugar was considered a luxury reserved for wealthy individuals. The sale of sugar brought significant profits to plantation owners (Mintz 59). Mintz explains that sugar plantations contributed to the development of capitalism, although they were pre-capitalist in form, despite being based on slave labor (59). Thus, sugar consumption has been essential to human history’s development and cannot be limited to meeting people’s physiological needs.
How Food Production Is Shaped by Natural Conditions
Sahlins’ position on food production suggests that in modern society, food can be perceived as a social object rather than a means of satisfying physical needs. Food has become an essential component of society and its traditions, and may even serve as a symbol; for example, in some countries, certain dishes or cakes are symbols of birthday celebrations (Aktaş-Polat and Polat 280). Using food as an example of losing its initial practical purpose, Sahlins explains the modern trend in the American economy, characterized by excess production of products such as clothing (Sahlins 179). The author suggests that human relationships with food have undergone significant progress from the stage of natural exchange with nearby territories and the limitations imposed by natural conditions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Sahlins would likely have rejected the idea that food production is shaped by natural conditions in a given place. Furthermore, as the author explained that physical needs become irrelevant to consumption and production, the author would deny the significance of people’s biological predisposition to sugar consumption in modern society. However, Sahlins would undoubtedly agree that human attraction to sugar has made an important contribution to the history of human development.
Works Cited
Aktaş-Polat, Semra, and Serkan Polat. “A theoretical analysis of food meaning in anthropology and sociology.” Tourism: An International Interdisciplinary Journal, vol. 68, no. 3, 2020, pp. 278-293. Web.
Mintz, Sidney W. Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History. Penguin Books, 1986.
Sahlins, Marshall. Culture and Practical Reason. The University of Chicago Press, 1976.