Female Identity, Food, and Power in Contemporary Florence

Life histories from contemporary Florentine women reveal that their identity and power have traditionally been attained and manifested through control over food provisioning. Furthermore, their ability to manipulate the symbolic content offood has enabled them to influence the behavior and values of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anthropological quarterly 1988-04, Vol.61 (2), p.51-62
Main Author: Counihan, Carole M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children
Cooking
Ethnology
Family Power
Family. Family relations
Feeding Practices
Females
Food
Food security
Foodways
Gender equality
Gender roles
Italy
Men
Mothers
Parents
Sex Role Identity
Social structure and social relations
Woman status
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Summary:Life histories from contemporary Florentine women reveal that their identity and power have traditionally been attained and manifested through control over food provisioning. Furthermore, their ability to manipulate the symbolic content offood has enabled them to influence the behavior and values of their families. Recent changes in Italian society and economy have brought new role expectations for women. They now try to remain the principal administrators of home and family at the same time they hold full-time wage-labor jobs. Because of time and identity conflicts, they can perform neither well. While they are glimpsing the possibility of public political and economic power, they are losing their traditional domestic influence over family and children.
ISSN:0003-5491
1534-1518
DOI:10.2307/3317156