Journal article
Sweetness and Loss: An Urgent Call for Affiliative Modes of Living
Journal of ethnobiology, Vol.40(3), pp.283-288
09/01/2020
Abstract
Framing the tales, textures, and under- standings of sweetness found within this special issue took time, thought, and seek- ing. These studies speak to how intensely meaningful sweetness is to people and how hard it is to inhabit a world perceived to be without it. Our goal with this introduction is to create a medium appropriately inspir- ited with the meaningful and dynamic content of these studies so they can take flight with sureness and integrity. There were challenges to arriving at our goal. For starters, the contributions as a collec- tion resonate with rather grand issues, including mass homogenization, disap- pearing foodways, diet-related disease, enduring cultural memory, the cultural meanings of taste and senses, and more. Permeating nearly all of the content herein is a deeply affective, dare we say sappy, theme speaking to the erosion of tradition, the relegation of charismatic experiences to the past, the disenchantment of the ecosphere, and the foods which sustain us. And yet, all these pieces finish with a hopeful note: the value of traditional foods being recognized at the last minute, nearly abandoned flavors making their way into innovative cuisine, or the enduring appre- ciation of original, unadulterated recipes. Another, more looming, challenge is the pressurized historical moment we now live in. It is just simply not a time when sweetness—in the beloved and nourishing interpersonal, visionary, and culinary forms captured in this issue—is being given its due. The importance of crafting this issue at this time into a message of broad soci- etal relevance is, therefore, plain. In the way of the inter-discipline of ethnobiology, what follows is a frame we hope is capa- ble of displaying the enduring pricelessness of biocultural diversity today, in this case, drawing on the lovely, tender, fulfilling, and pervasive nature of sweetness.
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Details
- Title
- Sweetness and Loss: An Urgent Call for Affiliative Modes of Living
- Creators
- Jeffrey Wall - Washington State University, Department of HorticultureIrene Teixidor-Toneu - Univ Oslo, Nat Hist Museum, Oslo, NorwayArnots Dafni - University of Haifa
- Publication Details
- Journal of ethnobiology, Vol.40(3), pp.283-288
- Academic Unit
- Department of Horticulture
- Publisher
- Soc Ethnobiology
- Number of pages
- 6
- Identifiers
- 99901299293801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article