Aaron Bobrow Strain discusses the white bread as a contentious food. This was the time of racial purity up to the countercultural revolution period from 1960. It’s mainly about the cultural legacy. According to Aaron Bobrow strain, our mentality on the humble can well be explained by a loaf. He says that a loaf can say what we are and similarly define how we need our society to appear alike. The white bread explains by Americans debating on what each should eat, they are brawling with challenge of immigration, gender, race and class. He explains that the process involved in making the bread is similar to the fight underwent in championing for a better society. Efforts to make good food in the outer sphere reflects the dreams and aspiration of an enhanced society.
Early 20th century, the white bread factory indicated a new bright future. This was a world away from dirty immigrants bakeries, dust and hot sun. Similarly, the bread also changed in the ingredient's contents. It was reinvigorated with vitamins and made it considered as the only super food. The bread was now marketed and promoted as patriotic. Though, in America, we had the food reformers who considered and accused the bread as a symbol and source of all negativities in America. This confirms the long struggle of the Americas in changing of what people eat.
The history of the bread ties with all the issues highlighted above of nativism, class, gender and race. The issue here is which bread has the highest health implications. Furthermost which preparation methods are considered as the safest, and which are the best patriotic methods that Americans must put into use? Lastly, it was a bit tricky in deciding which bread would be considered as the most affluent and valued. The changing in the nature of the bread reflects the change of social norms. The change in taste of the bread represents the change in life styles, etc.
Aaron Bobrow Strain explains how the trends in consumption of bread in America reflect cultural ideals, ideas and fears. Chapter 4 and 5 represents the strength, defense, peace and security respectively. Mass production of the white bread came into the being at a time when women were tied only to the kitchen. It was celebrated as scientific, superior way and safe of giving the masses the bread. Furthermore, in the time home based bakeries were done in unsanitary kitchens and in vicious conditions. Aaron derived this state as a “white trash”, it was referred this way due to its ubiquity and success. The white bread was considered as healthier and extensively sanitary. It got considered as alternative elite to the home baked bread.
The white bread aims at eradicating all oppression and inequalities. The policies put across were that all workers’ rights must be considered, similarly food justice, immigration and environmentalism. Food justice is considered; every individual has the food choice but must work to maintain the stated policies. This would help increase divisive in out-groups and in-groups. The food justice will make the criteria of which of the available food choices to be selected by individuals.
Similarly, the policy aims at enlightenment of the dirty bakery owned by the immigrants. In so doing, the immigrants will take part and be able to participate in the white bread. Their issues will be in line with all the gender, race and equality. The policy on environmentalism was mainly aiming at changing the conditions for the immigrants so that they can translate from the hot and dusty environments of oppression and inequality. The policy aims at improving hygienic nature of the Bakery and increase the safety of the distribution of bread. Similarly, the freshness of the environment will help improve the vitamin contents and fight with the malnutrition. This reflects that the environment will help people adapt to the real state of justice and patriotism.
During the world war II, all the food fronts production and dietary choices were enlisted by in United States national defense. This linked too to the patriotism, diet and military alertness. The policies on justice and fairness enabled each and every participant to take whatever he felt useful to him. The cold war mobilized the American kitchen, but the policies changed all the mentality. The policies changed the cultures, ideas and ideals of the world war and cold war. They assisted in improving the national security during the World War II. This is because it created positive world cooperation. Lastly, the bread policies led to a strong relationship between the United States bread and the security department’s after the war.
The consequences are that they influenced social work. Furthermore, they led to active community participation in all societal activities. This resulted to a turn up of the economic model and industrialization as issues of race, gender were done away with. Similarly, it protected the environment; they helped in changing the perceptive of the American’s about the food eaten. Lastly, the policies helped in achieving the bread dreams. These were good security status for all, peace, defense, discipline and health.
References
Bobrow-Strain, Aaron. White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf. Boston: Beacon Press, 2012. Print.
