Labor, Oppression, Empowerment, and Technology Of Food. (Weeks 4 and 5 reflection)

There was talk about the labor it takes to produce food in the first few chapters of Tompkins, and during the production of our potluck lunches and tastings and seminars. I think it’s a topic that deserves more discussion.

Perhaps this is a brief overview of what I have learned about food and labor, perhaps it is an example of connections that can be further studied, perhaps it will bring up some dynamics that haven’t been discussed or thought about yet. In any event, it is helpful in the context of this course.

There is definitely a gendered dynamic to food production. Typicallly and traditionally much food preparation is done by women or femme people. That food production labor can lead to oppression or empowerment, depending of course on circumstance and context and what ability each individual has to wield power of influence over their own lives and the lives of others.

This dynamic between empowerment and oppression can also be influenced by the interaction of technology. We have seen this in other areas as well. In my research project on the safety of sex toys I noted in my research that the technology of sex toys, especially the vibrator, has moved from a tool of oppression – because it was originally a tool to assist doctors in administering “paroxysms” (orgasms) to their female patients suffering from “hysteria” which could be indicated by any number of symptoms that are today generally considered symptoms of being frustrated and unfulfilled both in the quality of life and quality of sex – to a tool of empowerment – as it was when it became available for general consumers and became a symbol of sexual liberation around feminist movements when women could use it to control their own pleasure, without needing to rely on another person’s input or control.

I can see parallels in food technology as well as I consider labor saving devices and storage methods that also have the effect of distancing the end point of food from the beginning of production. Food production in its entirety is an incredibly labor intensive process. Farms must be maintained, planted, harvested. Harvested food must be shipped, processed, packaged, and shipped again and perhaps stored for various amounts of time at each part of the process. Once purchased from a store the food must be prepared in various ways which of itself can take a very long time, depending on the type of food and type of meal prepared.

The technology that has gone into improved farming, shipping, processing, packaging, and storage equipment has been a labor saving endeavor. It distances the end product of food from the beginning point by time, by geographical distance, by season, and by cultural recognition between the beginning point of food, a plant or seed or flower and the well dressed salad, intricately spiced main course, and sweetened and artfully presented desert.

In addition to the technology needed to on the side of food pre-meal-preparation, there has been great technology increases on the meal preparation area as well. Food processors, fridges, grinders, pots, pans, ovens, sinks, dishwashers, rice cookers, bread machines, mixers, blenders, garbage disposals, vacuum sealers, even sponges and detergents. Each piece of technology, each appliance in a kitchen has been created to reduce or ease the labor that goes into food preparation, food storage, and cleanup. Each thing also creates more distance between the origin of foods and the end result, though in different ways.

Now, as far as this technology and distance serves as both as a source of oppression and empowerment, especially in the gendered environment we live in, can be traced in advertising I’m sure.

For this technology has made laboring over food more enjoyable, easier. It’s marketed as a level of expertise, a value added option to social status. It is in a way a tool that encourages the continuation of the gendered divide of food preparation and makes the oppression of being societally required to perform a role seem more appealing because fancy equipment and being valued as an expert in something, in the traditionally considered emotional aspects assigned to women and femme people – the joy and pride of taking care of those around you.

But while this technology has these negative implications, it also has empowering ones. Technology reduces the time and labor it takes to prepare meals. Thus time is opened up for other pursuits, energy is saved that can be spent in other ways. It opens up a space for change. And that space can be incredibly powerful, and many forms of hell raising can come from its availability.

I find it really interesting to consider these dynamics, and I hope that this outline of some of the dynamics I can is interesting to someone.