Bread: Performance of Identity, Gender and Belief
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Abstract
Bread, in all its forms and throughout different slices of history and geography, has played a substantial role in people’s lives. Its layers of meaning range from the satisfaction of hunger to the performance of religious ceremonies, and its influence ranges from revolutions to migrations, mirroring social, political, and cultural changes. From women to men, bread embodies identity and gender. From its smell to the taste, bread transports its passengers between the realms of reality and fantasy.
In this research note, I use three theoretical lenses to analyze bread’s meanings: contextualism to explore its significance in different cultural and social contexts; Marxist/socialist theory to frame bread within social, political, and economic changes; and, finally, postmodernism to demonstrate that bread is the embodiment of different voices and bread-making creates space for its makers to perform their gender and identity. In addition to published sources, I build upon my own experiences as an Iranian Persian woman who has lived over twenty-six years in Iran and one year in Canada. I also draw on three interviews that I conducted in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Article Details
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