Horwitz uses a series of arguments to create her theory of
eating on the edge and how Americans are changing the ways we eat. She uses
examples from social media as well as the government to show that American's
aren’t really eating together anymore and it has really start from TV Dinners
back in 1954. Luce Girard tells us, “The table is ‘social machinery’ where
settings inscribe the order of a meal and seating arrangements mirror social
power” (Horwitz 44). This is the way it was in my family growing up. We sat down most
every night and ate dinner. It wasn’t written down that we all had “spots” at
the table, but nobody sat in each other’s spot. My dinner table growing up was
an oblong oval. My brother and I sat across from each other where the table was
shortest and my parents across from each other where the table was longest. The
only minor disruptions to our seating arrangements was when we had guests, in
that case the guest sat in the chair awkwardly placed around the bend so we
didn’t have to change our seats.
The thing about our seats was that they really only were our seats during meal times. During
other times of the day I wouldn’t be so careful as to only sit in my seat
because there were other options. I would sit in my brother’s seat if I were
going to watch TV or dads if I wanted to look outside. My options were not so
limited when I was eating meals at home alone, but once the group dynamic of my
family was together it was take your and only your seat please. As my family
separated through divorce, I noticed we all starting doing our own thing for
meals. As I got older and tried to sit down and have meals with family members,
it just didn’t work out. We all started developing our own meal habits although
on occasion would schedule to eat together.
This all relates to Horwitz because I am one of the people
who have been through his eating on the edge theory. I have seen the group
dynamic of my family change and go form a very ritualized family dinner time,
to an individualistic time where we all plan to eat in our spare time. I think
that for the world to slow down a little we have to shift back to the
ritualized family dinners, or at least I'm going to.
Interesting observation about the seats only being your seats during dinner time. Ever sit in another family member's seat during dinner? It's a little weird.
ReplyDeleteThe change you describe reflects changes in my family, too, as people got older and started having their own schedules. I wonder if most families witness a similar progression.