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Abstract

This dissertation discusses the extent to which social differentiation, and the ideology of a polite society, shaped and influenced food and dining in seventeenth-century England. England underwent a period of transition and change during the seventeenth-century. A significant factor amongst this change was the role of food and dining. Food culture became symbolic of identity, social status, and power. The type of food consumed, how it was consumed, and what it was consumed with, strictly defined which part of the social scale individuals fell in to. The elites and middling sorts manipulated the use of richer foods and politer dining methods to differentiate themselves from those below them on the social scale. This process of change is defined as the desire to fit into a polite society.
This research presents an interesting scope for analysis as this area of historical research is heavily under researched. Through the analysis of both written and material culture, this dissertation highlights the importance of food culture in seventeenth-century England. It suggests that more research is needed within this area of historiography. By utilising Ken Albala, Jodi Campbell, Sara Pennell, and Beat Kumin’s research as a starting point, it will be argued that the desire for social segregation heavily influenced food and dining culture in seventeenth-century England. The integration of primary sources is vital within this dissertation. The primary sources used throughout, dining utensils and cookbooks, offer rich insights into how food was used by seventeenth-century individuals. This is key when the food itself is not available for historical scrutiny. The purpose of this dissertation is to therefore utilise cookbooks and material culture as a way of understanding the dominance of social differentiation, and its impact upon food and dining practices.

Course: History - BA (Hons) - C1087

Date Deposited: 2021-07-27

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13694.html