Japanese Mothers and Obentos
by Whitney Davis
1. Structures of Power
1.1. Symbols of culture are ways people live their lives.
1.2. "Ideological State Apparatuses" is the term used to describe places that indoctrinate people into a particular world view through entertainment, education and information.
2. Children's school lunch boxes
2.1. precision, balance and aesthetic
2.2. take time and planning for mothers to prepare
2.2.1. The author interprets the preparation time as a form of ideological control over mothers by the state to produce proper citizens.
3. Japanese Food as a Cultural Myth
3.1. Japanese cultural says that food should look good first and taste good second, even if those such as young children don't appreciate the intricacies of the food in their obentos.
3.2. The container that holds the food is important as the food it is containing.
3.3. Food is transformed from "messy natural" to "aesthetic natural" of a different form (ie: apples that are carved to look like roses).
4. School, State and Subjectivity
4.1. If they are able to be obedient to their teachers, they are able to be obedient to the state.
4.2. The purpose of school is to shape children into their proper gender roles and the obentos are a part of this.
5. Nursery School and Ideological Appropriation of the Obento
5.1. Makes children comfortable.
5.2. Shows the commitment of their mothers.
5.3. There are no more obentos after first grade.
