1.) Growing up in a small town, and also on a farm I never really had a wide range of food options. We had the usual options, one McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Subway, Dunkin Doughnuts, a Chinese restaurant. We didn’t have the other options larger towns, or cities have. Also growing up on a beef farm, we had all the meat one family could do with. We also grew a lot of our own vegetables, and have three different orchards on the farm for apples. I can’t remember having my choice of food be depended on my peers, or a social norm. I seem to order a lot of the same food that my mother would actually, a simple BLT is the food item I order the most when going out during the day, and I think that is from all the times my mother and I would order them after church downtown. But my mother orders BTL’s because they are seen as healthier sandwich vs a burger. That itself could be a social norm, the healthy, local social trend. That it is considered right, or just, or ethically correct to give business locally, and all the while eating healthy. I think this has followed with me, and I do it unconsciously now.
2.) The two societal issues I want to connect to the first paragraph would be about sustainable food consumption. Which means we choose food that is healthier for us, and also good for the environment. By choosing a BLT over a burger from McDonalds, you are making a decision to eat healthier, and knowing most beef coming to McDonalds is from a corporation, you’re also helping the environment. Now you can also achieve this same affect by buying meat from a local producer, this ensures community stability and development while you get quality beef. I think the social norm should be locally grown, and locally produced. We need to show the country that small farms can handle a bigger share in feeding the country, while the corporate farmers can worry about producing food and grain and other commodities for export.
https://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/wp-admin/media-upload.php?post_id=44804&type=image&TB_iframe=1
Hi Garrett! My name is Emily Dinges and I found your post to be rather interesting. I am also from a small town with few restaurant options, so the variety of food when eating out was somewhat slim. I like that you were raised on your own beef! Personally, I do not agree with factory farms and support local farmers who farm their own meat and sell it within the community. This connects to your point of sustainable agriculture – I agree that it further develops the community and helps ensure stability. I also mentioned sustainable agriculture in my post in its relation to food waste: http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/03/01/food-choice-and-social-norms/.
Hello Garrett my name is Rachael Donnelly. I could really relate to your post because I also live in a small town on a farm. My family eats a lot of meat especially beef and we grow our own vegetables also. I find buying food from local producers very important for community stability. The small farms need to show how strong they really are. I really liked how you set up your diagram. It was easy to read and included the key components of your discussion. Overall great job and keep eating healthy! If you’d like to check out my blog the link is
http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/02/29/module-6-social-…rachael-donnelly/