Ninth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

Inspired by the documentary films demonstrated in Berlinale Culinary Cinema during the past ten years, the researcher took on an action research with 154 culinary students and aimed to enhance their feelings of mission for culinary profession. It was also expected through the film watching and discussion to assist these culinary students to establish a new perspective on “foodways” before they join the catering industry. The researcher worked with the 154 culinary students watching, discussing, and analyzing a documentary film, “ Food Inc.” directed by an American film maker, Robert Kenner. Eighteen one-hour-long focus groups were conducted by the instructor to collect students’ perspectives on the products and practices of modern foodways demonstrated in the film. Using Glaser and Strauss’ Grounded Theory (1967) constant comparison method, eighteen hours of focus group discussion and students’ reflection on the films were recorded and collected for further analysis. The findings suggest that the journey of the culinary documentary film watching encouraged students to take responsibility in their future profession and also helped them construct new perspectives on foodways. Two salient perspectives emerged from the data analysis: When food is mass produced for a mass population, it means a mass of animals and workers are abused; The new and enormous utilization of technology in the food industry is like two sides of the same coin, it brings great benefit and great danger to human beings.