The Demonstration of Power through the Marker of Authenticity
Inclusivity in society is often looked upon as an ideal pursuit, which is attainable through perceiving all cultures as equal. In Foodies, Josée Johnston and Shyon Baumann describes the democratic ideology in food culture that promotes this inclusivity, allowing different cultural foods to be treated equally. The book states, “Democratic ideology is organized around normative liberal principles of human equality and meritocracy” (Johnston and Baumann, 47). Although food is an area that has become more inclusive, foodies with more authority can distinguish foods from one another through identifying them with several traits, such as the food’s authenticity. This duality of democracy and distinction can also be seen in the culture of fashion, as many different styles and brands are considered socially acceptable. However, traits such as price and brand name authenticates a person’s fashion sense,…show more content… Regarding the high price of authentic foods, the book states, “Although authenticity can clearly not be reduced to rarity, it is nonetheless true that authentic foods are frequently rare, and it is an economic truism that rarity in valued items creates high prices” (Johnston and Baumann, 82). Authentic foods, such as natural and genetically unaltered products, are highly valued and their price reflects this. As a result, the poor often have to purchase the cheaper alternatives rather than the food that is considered more genuine, which only the wealthy have the means to purchase. Similarly, the poor must also settle for cheaper, lesser known brands of clothing, legitimizing the more fashionable, popular brands of clothing that only the wealthy can afford. The rich, who can afford authentic products, wield their wealth over the lower classes who cannot afford such