Feminism at the Kitchen Counter: From Betty Crocker to Julia Child

<p>In this episode, Leigh and Kim discuss the history of feminist food studies and how this particular critical lense offers uniquely modern insights into how we view traditional roles held by women in the realm of food. We discovered that until recently, topics relevant to feminism have not been addressed in depth - such as discussions about the value of food preparation in creating family identity, how community cookbooks both preserve culture and function as tools of resistance, and power dynamics behind how food is produced, distributed, cooked, and eaten. </p><p>Both of us were particularly inspired by Laura Shapiro titled <i>“I Guarantee”: Betty Crocker and the Woman in the Kitchen</i> which unpacks the cultural impact of a famous but fictional figure - Betty Crocker of General Mills - from packaged foods to cookbooks to television and radio. We previously covered Betty’s origins in Episode 20: Grain Empires,  but dig deeper into how this character influenced the cooking habits of American homemakers as well as their perceptions about the value of their contributions to the home - especially in contrast to culinary great Julia Child.</p><p>Along the way we discuss the nature of creativity in the kitchen, and how feeding others performs the critical work of defining and creating “family life.” Leigh and Kim share perspectives on the personal work of cooking and how that dynamic can shift whether one is cooking for self or for others. Finally, discuss efforts by a now-defunct USDA Bureau of Home Economics between 1925 and 1962 to quantify the often invisible work performed by home-makers in farm and rural communities.</p><h2>Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode</h2><p><a href="https://msmagazine.com/2013/03/12/the-femisphere-foodies-and-food-politics/">The Femisphere: Foodies and  Food Politics - Ms. Magazine</a></p><p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1536504214545763">A Feminist Guide to Cooking - Contexts, American Sociological Society</a></p><p>Recipe Digitization Project @ <a hre