Myth of the “classless” kitchen

Professor takes on myth of the “classless” kitchen

News contact: Laura Hancock, University Advancement, 541-962-3585

LA GRANDE, Ore. April 25, 2017 – Jennifer Puentes, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology, is the guest for the next colloquium at Eastern Oregon University, Thursday, April 27.

Her presentation, “The Myth of the ‘Classless’ Kitchen,” begins at 4 p.m. in Huber Auditorium in Badgley Hall. Light refreshments will be provided and the event will be streamed at livestream.com/eou/colloquium.

What role does cultural capital have in students’ culinary training? When and how does class matter? Puentes seeks to answer these questions through findings of a 15-month study of ethnographic observations at a culinary arts school in an urban, Midwestern city where she observed students’ interactions in kitchen classrooms and culinary competitions.

Puentes argues that the class dependent cultural capital students bring with them influences how they experience culinary school. She examines how the organization and the standards of culinary school – which draw on aspects of high culture – create barriers for some students.

The study is part of Puentes’ broader current research exploring how gender, class, student peer culture, and the organization of culinary arts programs shape students’ educational experiences and understandings of the culinary field.

Puentes joined EOU’s anthropology/sociology department in 2016 and volunteers with organizations that promote social justice and food security. Her Ph.D. in sociology is from Indiana University-Bloomington.

A list of related resources on presentation topics is provided by Pierce Library and available at library.eou.edu/colloquium.

EOU’s colloquium series is free and open to the public. For more information call 541-962-3316.