“Cooking” : how it contributes to the Malay feminine identity.

Abstract

This paper discusses how foodwork plays a role in the construction of identity for modern-day mothers in Singapore. I examine how cooking as a tool, to expressing ideals of motherhood and domesticity factors, is affected by factors such as the presence of a domestic helper, the use of convenience foods and increasing options for dining out. Cooking is used as tool in expressing ideals of motherhood and domesticity. Focusing on the changes that have influenced the way foodwork is carried out, I analyse how women formulate their self-identities in response to these changes. The multiplicity of meanings that cooking embodies simultaneously reflects the multifaceted dimensions of the self.