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Here’s my draft outline for possible chapters I’m proposing:
Overall argument: cookery texts as multimodal texts. Attempt to not only value cookery texts as rhetorical but especially to expand and explore the definition of multimodality. A theory-building rhetorical project.
Chapter 1: Introduction
–context, lit review, discussion of methods/methodology
–data: library sources
Chapter 2: Multimodal Cookbooks: Remediating Text
–in-depth lit review concerning multimodality, expanding definition of multimodality
–data: library sources, primary sources (19th century American cookbooks)
Chapter 3: Multimodal Literacies: The Cook as Teacher and Learner
–analysis of the process of reading/interpreting a recipe, possibly with historical background on the recipe’s roots as a oral culture
–data: library sources, small-scale reception study of local cooks, possible primary sources (19th century reform cookbooks–ones which focused on training the new cook)
–I’d like to include this reception study. If I can’t use the data in more than just this chapter, is it not useful? I’d like to use the data possibly in other chapters where applicable.
Chapter 4: Cooking with the Body: Cooking as Performance
–discussion of the materiality of cookbooks, as they refer to and call for a physical act
–data: library sources, primary source (sample television cooking programs, such as Julia Child, possibly in conjunction with 19th-century cookbooks or is that too much stuff?)
Chapter 5: Conclusion. Cooking in Print: Historical Multimodal Texts and Technology
–historical review of 19th-century cookbooks and the ways in which they took advantage of new advancements in technology
–data: library sources, primary sources (19th-century cookbooks)
–this may be similar to a paper currently under consideration in College English, but with a further developed theory base.
Problem: I’m not sure how I can defend my choice of focusing on 19th century American cookbooks. They don’t especially show how cookbooks are multimodal, any more than other print recipes do. They do show advances in technology at the time. They also are at a point in history where mass production of printed books was new and popular.
Problem: Is there enough connection between these chapters? Do they all work towards arguing for cookbooks as multimodal and for the definition of multimodality to be expanded?
Thanks
–E
When I found out about the assignment, I thought it would be interesting since I had just assigned my freshmen to write an observation paper. I had never actually done one, though. Even so, I thought it would be an enlightening experience, and one that would go quickly since the time constraints were for two sets of 20 minutes each. So I chose to type my observations on my laptop, as I can type faster (and more legibly) than I can write. Plus it would save time in transferring my data to my writeup if it was already typed.
I found when I concentrated on my reactions during my observation I got a lot more out of it–if I would go back, I would do more on the reaction side than on the observation side. My reactions, such as when I noticed that everyone seemed to know each other, led to learning more about the site.
I think I hindered myself by choosing a place I had been to before and had preconceived ideas about (Grounds for Thought). This limited my observations, as I already knew how to describe the front window, the tables, the bookshelves. Once I got to observing and reacting to the people, though, I began to notice new things. It also was more exciting as people were constantly coming in and out of the place during the breakfast rush.
I realized that I respond more to the actions of people and find more interest in how people interact in spaces than the physical attributes of a space. I seem to find more to observe, and definitely have more to react to when I’m observing people than when I’m observing spaces. It gives me more help in how to observe a space, to think of it as dynamically as I consider people.
I think I observe a lot of details–but one place I got hung up was on language. Sometimes it hindered me when I couldn’t think of the right noun to describe the thing. (Is it a “book tree”?) That held me up from doing more observation, when I had to think about how to express my visual observations in language. Translation was sometimes difficult or awkward, at the least. My notetaking skills are OK–better on the computer than on paper, as I mentioned before–although still I was observing more than I had time to write about, specifically when I was observing people. I wished I had a videotape of it, so I could watch the scene over and over and find new things about it.
–ejfleitz
OK, I’ve been doing some thinking about how to begin to organize the research and ideas I’ve come up with in the past six weeks of reading. I really am pleasantly surprised that most of my research I’ve done is actually relevant to what I’m wanting to do (often I shift topics and have to throw away lots of research). Anyway, some of it looks familiar to previous postings.
Main argument: Cookery texts as multimodal texts. I’m using the term “cookery texts” to keep it broad, to include TV cooking shows, newsletters, emails, recipes, websites, blogs, cookbooks, DVDs, etc. in the range of texts that characterize this “foodie” culture. I’m not sure if I want to focus on one type of cookery text, as that’s not really my point. My point is to show that recipes, in print or email or hypertext or whatever mode, are each multimodal. They have always been multimodal, and it has not come about since the existence of the Net or of the “foodie” phenomenon. To that end, I may focus on discussing print recipes and print cookbooks only because they are less obviously multimodal, in order to try to expand the definition of multimodality.
Subpoints (in no logical order, they’re just as I could think of them):
1) How we read/use cookery texts
This may be a big one. It may run throughout my entire diss, as well. It may involve:
2) Multimodal characteristics of cookery texts
This may also be a biggie.
3) Reception study
In order to study how one reads/uses a cookery text, I am envisioning a reception study involving home cooks (not professional cooks). It may involve group discussions, one-on-one interviews, group or individual reactions to cookbooks/TV shows/websites, and a questionnaire.
4) Multimodal Literacies: The Cook as a Teacher and Learner
Discussion of the reader’s role in the teaching-learning dyad as applied to cookery texts.
5) “I am a foodie”: Identity in Cookery Texts
Discussion of the reader’s identity in a cookery text.
6) Cooking With the Body: Cooking as Performance
Discussion of the physical act of cooking, which engages modes other than print. The act is attempted to be represented in print, but as a physical, bodily act, can never be completely defined by language, always existing on the border of language.
7) Cookery’s Roots
A historical look at the move from a woman-dominated, oral culture to a literate practice.
8 ) Cooking with Technology
A historical and rhetorical analysis of the ways in which cookery texts throughout history have been prone to adopting new technologies. May bring in study of Victorian era reform movement and their use of print to their advantage.
So here’s my ideas so far…let me know what you think.
More thinking about my project, here’s some notes towards an abstract:
At the moment, I am envisioning a study of the foodie movement, a pop-culture phenomenon that manifests itself in television cooking shows (Iron Chef, Rachael Ray), blogs, websites, cookbooks, CD-ROMs, and DVDs. I focus on the audience’s role in the construction and perpetuation of this movement, and look at the ways in which the audience constructs “foodie” identity through engagement with the new media texts. Using reader-response theory in conjunction with feminist theories of identity and the body, I construct a framework that analyzes the foodie movement as a rhetorical text…
That’s what I have so far. As for the “feminist theories of identity and the body” part, not so much right now. Am looking instead at feminist media studies and discussions of the female reader/viewer, issues of the gaze and taking back the gaze. I’m finding that both feminist media studies/feminist reader theories and new media studies articulate more accurately the “relationship” between reader and text, as a more flexible, dialectic system.
I’ve also noticed that reader-text relationships are often driven by desire. Several theorists mention desire or needs as a reasoning for interpretation. This may become a significant point. Or, not.
A research question: What does the viewer/reader do when presented with a cookery text?
Recent ideas (since the above notes were written): Cookbooks as multimodal? The current media of cooking (books, websites, magazines, etc) takes advantage of its multimedia potential…or, how we read cookbooks can best be explained through theories of multimodality, as cookbooks/cookery texts have always been multimodal.
Also, maybe look more into the issue of white space or gaps/spaces in cookery texts, which may be where readers inhabit in order to create closure and connect data to context…where learning occurs…
Feedback appreciated!
–ejfleitz
Observation—Sept. 20
Grounds for Thought
Physicality of space (start 8:13): Sunny, large east window, looking out onto Main street. One person sitting outside, but not for long because the sun’s in his eyes. I’m sitting at the front round table inside, tables big enough to sit three people around. The wooden tables are marked up, from past users digging their pens and sharp objects in. They need to be refinished. To the left of me is a book display in the front window, which is blocking the sun from my eyes. It’s a combination of books stacked and on a bookcart, and fake flowers and greenery in vases, and food items (coffee bags). There’s a green tall (live) plant, about 4 feet high, in the corner keeping the sun out of my eyes. It’s slightly warm up here. Across from me is the entrance, where people’s purses, hats, denim jackets and lost umbrellas and library books are kept. Underneath that is the table with current newspapers. New York Times is the tallest stack, then The Blade, then a short stack of USA Today. Other regional papers are on the lower shelves. Following that along the north wall of the store is a wastebasket, book tree of mystery used paperbacks, and a long set of green painted shelving units which have crafts, used records, local fliers, and mostly (on the upper shelves) their coffee beans and mixes for sale, some already ground and packaged. Behind me is a map of the world pasted on like wallpaper, which nearly fills up the wall space. Next to that (the area where I’m sitting is large enough for three tables) is the counter. It is a three-sided counter, the longest part of which is where purchases are made. Around the counter are shelves of chess sets, used paperbacks, ground coffee. The counter is brown painted with a dark gray countertop. Three glass cases are used to hold the food items, such as donuts, pastries, sandwiches, desserts, cookies, and ice cream. I’ve gotten used to the smell by now, but when you walk in the strong smell of freshly ground coffee greets you. Mingled with that are the smells of the food, especially donuts and pastries which are fresh this morning.
Reactions:
Some of the book stacks are rather precarious…hope there’s no small children running through here, otherwise there could be a big mess of books and flowers and vases. Everything’s clean, but a bit shabby. Could use a renovation. Unless they’re trying to go for the charming quaint look. I’m not sure why the NYT has the tallest stack—because everyone wants that one, or because no one’s taken any yet? I shudder to think that the short stack of USA Todays are few because they’re the most popular paper and everyone’s taken a copy so far. The crafts are ridiculously expensive—no wonder nobody buys those purses. I mean, $50 for a purse made out of coffee bags?
People (8:35):
Lots of different kinds of people—there’s one that just came in who brought a bunch of brightly colored balloons for someone’s birthday who’s a regular and should be in today to see them and be surprised. Other people, young girls (undergrads), older retired men, travelers filling up their travel mugs before they continue on their trip, regulars who (apparently) usually sit where I am (??), businessmen looking stressed and hassled, who look around longingly to sit down but then see the time on their watch and leave after getting a coffee and bagel/roll/donut to go. There’s parallel parking outside and cars come and go, as most people just stop in for a minute to get a coffee, or a coffee and pastry, to start their day. One older man drove his vintage black convertible—perfect condition—to stop in a minute for coffee. Everyone gets coffee to go in a Styrofoam cup which is white and tan with pictures of coffee cups on it. Usually people know what they want when they order, they always know just what coffee to order, but if they hesitate it’s to choose which pastry they want that day. There’s also a window washer who washed only the outside of the windows. An employee was windexing the entry glass door earlier from the inside. A male college student just sat down with a coffee outside, to study and (possibly?) smoke, even with the sun in his eyes. It must be to smoke. An older man, retired, in a blue and white flowered Hawaiian shirt, sat facing the map wall at the round table next to me, sipping his coffee, clearly without any important place to be.
Working moms in their SUVs park outside and come in for skim lattes. The college student just came in, after realizing the sun would be too distracting. He walked to the back for another seat away from the sun. Often people when they come in open the door for others who are coming in at the same time, everyone seems to be in a good mood, happy it’s the morning, or happy they’re about to get their coffee. If anyone does stop in front of the newspapers, it’s to look at the front headlines of the Blade. No one normally picks up a paper to buy and take it along, if anyone reads them they read them there and fold them back up and put them on the stack again. Everyone seems to know each other, they must all be regulars here. The window washer is back, squeegying loudly enough on the front windows to cause a low-pitched squeaking sound that makes people look up from their coffees or conversations. For the most part, the average age of customers are over 40, as most are professionals or retirees. Fewer students than I expected. People order skim drinks, fruit juices, mochas, all different kinds of drinks. An older gray-haired woman sat down in the other round table in front of me, reading the BG News and having a coffee. There are two baristas, female, under 30, petite. When there isn’t a rush they’re talking and sharing gossip and stories to catch up with each other. They seem to know most of the people who come in, and chat with everyone there as they get their drinks. A younger man (30s) came in with a baby strapped to his chest and is waiting for his order. If people don’t end up talking to someone while they wait, they turn around and look at the books for sale, the coffees, or the newspapers. A woman with two large Lassie-type dogs tied them up outside at one of the tables so he could go in and get a coffee. She then walked back outside and sat with her dogs to have her coffee.
Reactions:
From about 8:10 (when I came in) to 8:20 there was a rush, and then from 8:20-8:30 it was mostly dead—I was surprised about this. Then it picked up like I expected after 8:30, and it’s been busy (at least 2 people waiting for orders at the counter) ever since. If people are sitting up in the front, they’re quiet and sometimes speak to the people who go past they know. I’m really surprised everyone knows everyone else—I really didn’t recognize anyone (except for my 7th grade science teacher, who, for many reasons I preferred not to speak to). Also I’m interested that the coffee house, which in our culture always seems to be a hangout of the young (it’s a Gen-X thing), is frequented at least on a weekday morning by BG locals, older people and professionals. Also I can tell it’s the Midwest because people are friendly to each other even if they don’t know them. They hold doors open for people (right, like you’d see that in NYC). I’m also surprised how late some professionals must need to be at work—it’s 8:59 right now and there are still suits walking in to get an order. Finally, I’m surprised that really no one is buying or reading the newspapers. The only reason my dad comes in here is to get the NYT. I wonder if they lose money from those—it’s 9am and no one’s touched the Times. If I could afford it, I would! (I read it online.)
Anyway, this was an interesting activity, I actually did learn a lot both about the place itself and how to observe something–and how difficult it is to include everything and remember it all! I often can’t type faster than I can think or observe.
–Elizabeth
I’ve recently set up a new blog, PHooDie, to take part in the phenomenon that is food entertainment. Recipes, websites, books, TV shows, news, everything pertaining to food (right now it’s a clearinghouse for some of my recipes).
Visit it at http://phoodiephenomenon.blogspot.com/.
Thanks!
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