Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Space, too, may play a role here, especially the location of the remaining poultry
markets (for example, in Chinatown). However, as two of the women indicated,
poultry markets Jo, in fact, still exist in downtown Los Angeles and remain within
access to the city's black communities. Therefore, two questions arise. First, why is
this cultural practice being lost on younger women? Second, why do the older
women continue to participate in the seemingly undesirable chore of buying and
butchering live chickens when, indeed, 'ready to eat', pre-cleaned, pre-butchered
chicken is easily available at most, if not all, supermarkets?
To the latter question, clues may be found in the responses of Vivian and
Bernadette, each patrons of a local poultry market in the south central district of
Los Angeles:
VIVIAN: I went up there Sunday before last and I think I bought about four
chickens/
BERNADETTE: The live chicken is so good.
VIVIAN: Isn't it good?! It's fresh/
BERNADETTE: It is so good! And tender…I had never bought one from [a
particular poultry market] and I went down there Easter and got
some.
Two clues may be found here. The first is simply one of taste: the chicken is 'fresh',
it is good and perhaps of better quality than that bought in a supermarket. The
second clue refers to days of occidental religious (Judeo-Christian) observation and
ceremony, the Sabbath and Easter. Religious sacrifice still occurs within ethnic
communities throughout urban America (for instance, the slaughter of Easter lambs
by Greeks in urban New England; personal observation A.B.). Although not
explicitly examined here, the potential religio-cultural role(s) of poultry markets (or
any market selling 'live' animals for consumption) in the observation of the Sabbath
or other holy days is intriguing.
Reasons for the decline of poultry market use among younger African-American
women in the city remain obscure and in need of further investigation. However, the
convenience of supermarket shopping, alongside the perception of this grisly and
messy practice that creates (now) unnecessary conflict between the desires to be
compassionate towards animals yet still eat them, are likely candidates. Animal
slaughter no longer appears a welcome event in urban American culture, a fact that
is likely true across racial, ethnic and gendered boundaries (Philo 1995).
Attitudes towards animals: consumption and competition,
coexistence and care
Attitudes towards animals were expressed throughout discussions of many topics,
most linked to normative questions of how humans should or should not use
animals, but also in descriptions of animal practices, noted above, that were justified
on the basis of particular normative values and attitudes. Two basic attitudinal (or
cultural) models emerged from the discussion (Kempton
et al.
1995). One was an
