William Dwyer
4/5/17
ENG 102-CAI
Writing Project 2
American Food Taboo’s: Cetacean Delight Why do Americans avoid cannibalism? Cannibalism, just like many foods, is a food taboo. Food is an essential part of everyone’s lives. It gives us the energy and nutrients to Grow and develop, be healthy and active. We are united as human beings in our need to sustain ourselves, the question of what and how to eat has confronted every person across time, and has shaped our culture and what is allowed and what is prohibited to eat. These foods in today’s society that are forbidden are classified as taboos and is not culturally accepted to consume them. Food taboos are known all over the world, in different religions or different tribes. Tribes such …show more content…
The word taboo comes from the island of Tongantabu (Main Island of the Kingdom of Tonga). It was introduced into the English language later than 1771 by Captain James Cook. Cook is known for writing “Not one of them would sit down, or eat a bit of any thing.... On expressing my surprise at this, they were all taboo, as they said; which word has a very comprehensive meaning; but, in general, signifies that a thing is forbidden” Cook & King 1821, p. 348. Taboos expand across a wide range of do’s and don’ts from social behavior to food and drink standards. In today’s society taboos about food are the most prolific. It is society unacceptable to eat certain animals from domestic animals such as cats and dogs Lab-Grown meat. Lab-grown meat is such a taboo that organizations have developed in order to stop the production of food made in a lab. The one food taboo that people find most revolting is the consumption of Cetacea or the act of eating dolphins and whales. The argument that consuming dolphins and whales is acceptable because of culture beliefs it stems from should not be useable anymore. Yet regardless of the past, the people of modern society need to recognize the danger that these animals are in. European cultures stopped this practice ages ago, as did much of the world. Another reason this is such a big taboo is how big of an impact the ecosystem is taking with the loss of great amounts …show more content…
The resource being dolphins and the necessity to protect them come from the endangerment of them and the fact that dolphins have some similarities with humans that not even apes have. Dolphin’s brains are highly complex and we study and learn everything we can about them. They are a part of this world, yet so many people abuse and kill them. This comes from Food taboos: their origins and purposes by: Victor Benno Meyer-Rochow “food taboos frequently seem to have an ecological background, which according to Harris is based on utilitarian principles. On the one hand they may lead to a fuller utilization of a resource and on the other they can lead to its protection.” Even though dolphins can be viewed as a resource because they have such a big role in the ecosystem, lots of organizations have sprung up because of the empathy people feel for the dolphins because of the vast number of them being slaughtered and harvested every
4/5/17
ENG 102-CAI
Writing Project 2
American Food Taboo’s: Cetacean Delight Why do Americans avoid cannibalism? Cannibalism, just like many foods, is a food taboo. Food is an essential part of everyone’s lives. It gives us the energy and nutrients to Grow and develop, be healthy and active. We are united as human beings in our need to sustain ourselves, the question of what and how to eat has confronted every person across time, and has shaped our culture and what is allowed and what is prohibited to eat. These foods in today’s society that are forbidden are classified as taboos and is not culturally accepted to consume them. Food taboos are known all over the world, in different religions or different tribes. Tribes such …show more content…
The word taboo comes from the island of Tongantabu (Main Island of the Kingdom of Tonga). It was introduced into the English language later than 1771 by Captain James Cook. Cook is known for writing “Not one of them would sit down, or eat a bit of any thing.... On expressing my surprise at this, they were all taboo, as they said; which word has a very comprehensive meaning; but, in general, signifies that a thing is forbidden” Cook & King 1821, p. 348. Taboos expand across a wide range of do’s and don’ts from social behavior to food and drink standards. In today’s society taboos about food are the most prolific. It is society unacceptable to eat certain animals from domestic animals such as cats and dogs Lab-Grown meat. Lab-grown meat is such a taboo that organizations have developed in order to stop the production of food made in a lab. The one food taboo that people find most revolting is the consumption of Cetacea or the act of eating dolphins and whales. The argument that consuming dolphins and whales is acceptable because of culture beliefs it stems from should not be useable anymore. Yet regardless of the past, the people of modern society need to recognize the danger that these animals are in. European cultures stopped this practice ages ago, as did much of the world. Another reason this is such a big taboo is how big of an impact the ecosystem is taking with the loss of great amounts …show more content…
The resource being dolphins and the necessity to protect them come from the endangerment of them and the fact that dolphins have some similarities with humans that not even apes have. Dolphin’s brains are highly complex and we study and learn everything we can about them. They are a part of this world, yet so many people abuse and kill them. This comes from Food taboos: their origins and purposes by: Victor Benno Meyer-Rochow “food taboos frequently seem to have an ecological background, which according to Harris is based on utilitarian principles. On the one hand they may lead to a fuller utilization of a resource and on the other they can lead to its protection.” Even though dolphins can be viewed as a resource because they have such a big role in the ecosystem, lots of organizations have sprung up because of the empathy people feel for the dolphins because of the vast number of them being slaughtered and harvested every