170 Small Assignment III Proposal & Annoted Bibliography

How Ritual Objects Impact our Cultural Identities: Proposal & Annotated Bibliography
Proposal for Cultural Analysis Essay

Introduction

American Food culture has always placed fried foods on a pedestal, especially the great BBQ. The rise of the air fryer quickly changed this. The air fryer has gained immense advertisement around the country, leading it to become a staple in America’s kitchen. This would not be the case if it weren’t for the method it used to cook food; a scarce amount of oils. This puts the fryer to shame since it introduces a healthier alternative for cooking, especially cooking the fried foods that America favors. By studying the rise of the air fryer in American society, one can see how food fad culture dominates the traditional American culture like the great BBQ, therefore changing our cultural identity as Americans. This is important since air fryers positively change our identity as Americans by creating healthier alternatives to our traditional fried foods. 

An air fryer. Invented by Fred van der Weij in 2010, this machine serves as a small countertop convection oven designed to simulate deep frying without submerging the food in oil. With a fan circulating hot air at high speeds, this leads to the production of crispy layers and browning reactions. Usually sold around the price ranging from $30 – $400, depending on the design and luxurious features.

To describe how the invention and mass production of the air fryer is beneficial for American society by allowing for a healthier version of culturally iconic foods, which in turn reduces the risk of obesity.

Purpose

A short section describing why you chose this topic—includes facts and relevant connections, and the lens through which you are interested in studying your object and its impact on culture.

To provide informative content and bring awareness to the reader on how impactful the invention of the air fryer truly is for the country. Improving the food culture of the U.S. through providing a new method of cooking and preparing food in a healthier fashion. 

Nutrition has always intrigued me, in order to properly maintain and build the physical body, one must be cautious of the input the body is receiving. In all categories of proper nutrition, to a substantial amount of protein intake, and even the foods with medicinal benefits interest me. Since the presentations occurred, the cultural presentation on food caught my interest the most, ironically this presentation was also the one with the least content at the time. The specific slide showcasing the air fryer called to me the most. I have heard a lot of relatives recently purchasing an air fryer, and while I was naive to its true nature, I decided to study it. Who knows, perhaps I would want to invest in one myself too. With so many people around me recently purchasing one, I could tell it had great potential for an essay on how it is currently impacting the food culture in this country. 

Working thesis statement

 

By studying the rise of the air fryer in American culture, one can see how food fad culture dominates the traditional American culture like the great bbq, therefore changing our cultural identity as americans. This is important because the air fryers are a positive change in our identity as Americans by creating a healthier alternative in our traditional foods. This is significant because it allows Americans to enjoy the culturally iconic foods within the culture whilst reducing the risk of obesity. 

Unfolding the Working Thesis

List the items/areas of research you will need to address to help you unfold your thesis. This is the main part of your proposal.

  • The health benefits compared to traditional deep frying (deep frying is used in most fast food places)
  • Time efficiency (has to give people more time efficient method  to prefer it over fast food)
  • Provide evidence that it is healthier (direct comparison to traditional deep frying)

Where is your Research Headed?

Write a short section on where you think/hope your essay will take you after all your research (this helps plan for the conclusion and also helps test your thesis)

In hopes of looking in the right areas and the right sources, I see my research being able to back up the thesis and provide sufficient credibility to help argue the case of the air fryer. As well as to show the readers how the traditional methods of producing and cooking food is not exactly the best, especially when there are healthier options. There is a saying that goes “if it isn’t broken, dont fix it”. The research I am doing will assist me in saying if it isn’t broken, that does not mean there isn’t a better way. 

Things I Don’t Know

List any areas you feel unsure about, need to do more research on—or need help with.

  • How much healthier the air fryer is
  • Why people would prefer traditional deep frying over air frying
  • Why food chains are not converting to the newer healthier method
  • Collective evidence that the time efficiency is much greater than the air fryer

Working Bibliography

 

Ge, Sheng, et al. “Reduced Postprandial Serum Triglyceride After a Meal Prepared Using an Airfryer: A Randomized Crossover Trial (P08-103-19).” Current Developments in Nutrition, vol. 3, no. Supplement_1, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzz044.P08-103-19.

Ghaitaranpour, Arash, et al. “Effect of Deep Fat and Hot Air Frying on Doughnuts Physical Properties and Kinetic of Crust Formation.” Journal of Cereal Science, vol. 83, Sept. 2018, pp. 25–31. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2018.07.006.

 

 Liu, Li, et al. “Effect of Air Fryer Frying Temperature on the Quality Attributes of Sturgeon Steak and Comparison of Its Performance with Traditional Deep Fat Frying.” Food Science & Nutrition, vol. 10, no. 2, 2022, pp. 342–53, https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.2472.

 

Spurlock, Morgan. “Super Size Me.” YouTube, 26 July 2019, https://youtu.be/zKQGAv8gtBA. 

 

Stoner, Christine. “The Power of Hot Air: Healthier recipes without sacrificing the crunch.” Mother Earth News, no. 312, June-July 2022, pp. 62+. Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A705931879/HRCA?u=nysl_se_sojotru&sid=bookmark-HRCA&xid=8d7e89fe. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.

 

Annoted Bibliography

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