A Project to Help People in Poverty
Introduction
According to the Time Magazine (2010), the "world
food crisis" of 2007-08 was the tip of an iceberg. The food crises and
hunger are endemic to the modern world, and the eruption of a rapid increase in
food prices provided a fresh window on this cultural fact. According to George
(1977), famines signify the final stage in a comprehensive procedure of
deepening vulnerability and fracturing of social reproduction mechanisms. She believed that this food "crisis"
represents the intensification of a long-term crisis of social reproduction
stemming from colonialism, and was enhanced by neoliberal capitalist growth.
In popular history, food
is an essential feature. Gofton (1989) has established that lifestyles have seen
many changes over the post-war years, and these are reflected in numerous ways
in food and its consumption habits. The invasion of various nationalities
affected the history of food. It could be said that colonization contributed a
lot on the food development of a specific region. For instance, most of
Oriental traditions of food like that of the Philippines and Indonesia is an
amalgamation of Oriental features such as Spanish and American. Food is a
marker of identity of many different levels (Keane & Willetts, 1994, p.
15). To directly quote:
Countries
are commonly characterized by one or two dishes which are regarded as emblems
of the nation in the same way as the national flag. What is highly regarded in
one country may be seen as inedible and vilified in another. Within countries
there are regional specialities which may also distinguish one group of people
from another. Haggis and “Neeps” (turnips) are seen as intrinsically Scottish
while jellied eels could only characterize cockney Londoners (Keane &
Willetts, 1994, p. 15).
From here, the identity
of food in terms of historical background of a country is clearly manifested.
Whatever type of food that serves as national symbol, this provides an
individual and cultural identity of the people who consume or eat such. Food
comes to represent a certain area and through their consumption, people
establish an identity in which categorized as pride in its history.
But the questions still remain “Are there enough food
for the poor people of Indonesia?” and “Is there enough "healthy
food" to feed the Indonesian people?” Food as a basic need, as every
person needs to eat, what people eat becomes a most powerful symbol of what
they are (Fox, 2003). Economy serves as an important feature of food culture
among communities. Practically, the richer the economy, the more diverse the
assortment of food in relation to types, costs, etc. and vice versa. Situating
food and eating identity in the economic and cultural environments of which
they are a part is important (Keane & Willetts, 1994, p. 15). Developed
countries are able to sustain the food supply and consumption their population.
Thus, there is no shortage or at any rate, they are able to give what is due to
their people. For poor countries like Indonesia where famine is experienced,
the food culture is greatly different. Poor people in the co8untry eat almost
anything that they could have or perceived to be edible just to serve the needs
of nutrition. People from these regions fail to do such, death due to malnutrition,
illness, or state of famine is expected. It could be said that food in modern
economies are better than in poorer to poorest societies. Economic constraints
are also a vital consideration.
Objective of the Study
The primary objective of this study is to examine and determine the
current stance of poverty and hunger proliferating in Indonesia. To address
this objective, the researcher explores the nature and kind of food needed by
the poor people in Indonesia and the government efforts towards hyper-inflation
and price control.
Apparently, a survey to be conducted to some of government officials aimed
to determine their perception towards the issue of price control and
hyper-inflation. Furthermore, an interview will be also conducted to know what
are their problems and concerns regarding food shortage. Finally, this research
comes up with pertinent findings, and provides insightful recommendations on price
policies and food shortage counter measures imposed by the government of
Indonesia.
Research Questions
Generally, the purpose of
this study is to conduct a study on the issue of food shortage and poverty in
Indonesia. This study tries to answer the following queries:
1.
What are the government official’s perceptions
regarding the food shortage issue and price control?
2.
What are the specific foods that needed by the
poor people in Indonesia at most?
3.
What are criterions in determining the food
needed by the poor people of Indonesia?
4.
What should the government do to control the
price not to increase or suppress hyper-inflation?
Scope and Limitations
The study intends to investigate the on the issue of food shortage and poverty in Indonesia. For this study, primary
research and secondary research will be used. Primary research will be
conducted using anonymous questionnaires that will be sent to some government
officials in Indonesia. The questionnaires will be used to collect quantitative
data and the interviews will be used to provide qualitative insights into the
data collected.
The data will be analysed and compiled for the evaluation. The data will
then be presented by means of graphical representations and illustration and
the difference would be highlighted.
References:
Fox, R. (2003), Food
and eating: an anthropological perspective, Social Issues Research Center,
Oxford. Retrieved March 12, 2010 from www.sirc.org/publik/foxfood.pdf
George,
S. (1977), How The Other Half Dies: The Real Reasons for World Hunger
(Montclair, NJ: Allenheld, Osmun and Co.
Gofton, L. (1989), "Sociology and Food
Consumption", British Food Journal,
Vol. 91, No. 1, Abstract only.
Keane, A. and Willetts, A. (1994), “Factors that
Affect Food Choice”, Nutrition & Food
Science, No. 4, July/August, pp. 15-17.
Time Magazine (2010), Special Section: THE WORLD FOOD CRISIS Retrieved March 12, 2010 from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,911503-1,00.html
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