SA 21 - A | "Kamayan sa Jollibee at Casa Verde"

“Kamayan sa Jollibee at Casa Verde”

MR Dionisio | Matti Romero | Mara Sison

SA 21 - A

1. What norm did you violate?

     Filipinos love food. In fact, there are a variety of unique and flavorful Filipino dishes all over the country. For instance, the Ilocos region is known for their Pinakabet (vegetable), Bagoong (fish or shrimp paste), and Bagnet (crispy fried pork) while in Iloilo, Bachoy (a soup fare), Guinamos (Ilonggo version of bagoong), and Tulapjo (fried pork fat) are their signature dishes. Alongside with this is that Filipinos love to eat. Every celebration would always come with a dinner party or “handaan”, where Filipinos come together to eat and bond. What is interesting about these dinner parties is that Filipinos eat in a unique way. Instead of using utensils, Filipinos use their hands (kamayan) especially when the food is fried or sauce-less. The “kamayan” is a unique aspect of our Filipino culture and has been passed down from generations to generations. However, at present this culture is not being practiced, especially in public space, believing that it is barbaric, prehistoric, unhygienic and against proper eating etiquette. Hence, there is a norm of diners using utensils in restaurants. Our group tried to deviate from these norms by eating spaghetti in Jollibee Katipunan Branch and chocolate ice cream in Casa Verde, UP Town Center using our bare hands.            

2. Describe the breaching experiment in detail. What was the activity? Where did you do it?

Our breaching experiment was conducted on April 9, 2016, at Jollibee Katipunan Branch and Casa Verde, UP Town Center. Aside from the number of diners present in the restaurants, these sites were chosen to see if there is a difference in the reactions between the lower end (Jollibee) and the higher end (Casa Verde) diners. The experiment was done by one person who was documenting (Mara) and the other two (MR and Matti) were performing the actual experiment. The two members who were doing the experiment would order and eat (using their bare hands) food that had some sauce in it, in this case, spaghetti and chocolate ice cream. They exaggerated their movements while eating to catch the attention of people and notice their deviance of not using utensils. The one who was documenting was secretly taking photos to take note of the reactions of the diners and restaurant crews.  

Fig. 1 MR ordering spaghetti from the Jollibee Katipunan branch.

Fig. 2 MR and Matti eating their Jolispaghetti using their hands and no utensils.

Fig. 3 MR and Matti eating a large slice of chocolate ice cream cake using their hands. No utensils were used whatsoever.

Fig. 4 Matti scooping the remaining chocolate ice cream cake with her hands.

3. What were the different reactions of the people? List all possible reactions you observed. Why do you think they reacted this way? What caused these reactions? Did the deviant re-affirm/reinforce the existing norms based on these reactions?

The reactions that we mostly got were stares from the diners and servers at the restaurant. People were looking at us curiously with various expressions on their faces. Some were amused and they also seemed curious with what we were doing. Yet others were also confused because it seemed that they could not reconcile that we were actually doing this. However, some also had judging stares expressing their disapproval or disgust that we were using our hands instead of the utensils, which people normally use when eating.

Moreover, some were also blantly look at us, gaping and staring at us while we were eating. While others were more discreet in their staring, looking in our direction from time to time and during moments when we were busy eating and conversing with one another. In addition, some were laughing at our behavior but this laugh is discreet and concealed so that we would not notice that they are actually laughing at us.

What we also found interesting in the reactions we got is that there is a difference in the reactions from the two places we conducted in our experiment. On one hand, in Jollibee, the reactions from people were more evident. Almost all of the people around us were staring at us. The guard manning the door who was talking to another person paused in the middle of the conversation and turned his attention towards us. When he tried to continue the conversation after looking at us, he again glanced towards our direction to affirm if he really saw what he saw. Moreover, almost all of the ladies in the counter blatantly stared in our direction. In fact, there was one lady who was refilling the utensils in the container and she kept on staring at us, while she was doing her job. It seems that from her behavior, she wanted to convey the message that there are utensils that we could use in eating. In addition, the people near our table both blatantly and discreetly looked at us while we were eating with our hands. There was one group of girls in our back who even laughed at us, which seemed that our behavior was a joke for them. Lastly, when we finished our meal and asked our group mate to stay behind to observe people’s reactions, everyone around us was looking in our direction as we exited Jollibee. There was even this guy beside us who kept his stare even after we have exited.

On the other hand, in Casa Verde, there was not much reactions we got and if there were, it was more discreet. The diners did not really care with what we were doing and that they are just enjoying their meal and minding their own business as if nothing unusual is happening. In fact, most of the reactions we got were from the waiters serving at Casa Verde. Just like in Jollibee, they were staring at us with both amused and judging expressions. When we were requesting for tissue to clean our hands with chocolate, one waiter looked first at our hands before addressing us. Moreover, when we asked for the bill, the person in the counter laughed at us when the waiter pointed in our direction saying that our table is ready to check out. In addition, the waiters across the room were whispering to each other while staring in our direction.

Overall, people stared at us because we behaved unusually. We got a mixed reaction of both amusement and judgement because we were using our hands to eat instead of using a spoon and a fork. Some people also laughed at us because our behavior seemed barbaric, uneducated, unhygienic and against proper dining etiquette. There were also whispers and people were talking to one another, which may reflect that they may want to discuss their approval and or disapproval with another.

We also conducted the experiment in two places namely a fast food restaurant, which is Jollibee and a middle-higher class dining place, which is Casa Verde. We did our experiment in these two contrasting places because we wanted to compare and contrast the reactions we got from the two. Our assumption is that there would be more stares and judging reactions in Casa Verde because the people who dine there can afford the expensive food prices reflecting that the diners may come from a higher economic class and educated background. With this type of environment, “kamayan” when eating would receive a more negative feedback because it is against proper dining etiquette and may express a barbaric, unhygienic, and uneducated behavior. On the contrary compared to Jollibee, we assumed that people would be more tolerant and accepting of this behavior since “kamayan” is a usual dining behavior that lower class practice.  

However, the reactions we got were different. In fact, they were the opposite from what we assumed. Casa Verde diners were tolerant and accepting with the less stares and indifference we got while Jollibee showed a more reactive response. A probable explanation for this is that middle-higher class families are not nosy on other people’s lives. There were less stares because they just give importance to their own and mind their own business. Moreover, the indifference in their actions affirm that they are not actually gatekeepers in proper dining etiquette, subjecting us to what is an acceptable dining behavior and what is not. Their silence may express tolerance and acceptance reflecting that they may be capable of being more understanding to the different lifestyles of people and not just be boxed with one acceptable perspective and behavior.

On the contrary, Jollibee had a more amusing and judging response. This may be a reflection that they give importance to proper dining etiquette when eating. It may seem that they are actually rather our gatekeepers subjecting us to behave properly and reject any unacceptable behavior. With their constant and judging stares, this may be a way for them to sanction people who deviates and make them feel that they are different. The diners and servers in Jollibee seemed to be more interested with what people are doing. This may reflect a Filipino trait of being “chismosa”, wherein we would like to meddle in other people’s lives. From the reactions we got from Jollibee, this kind of Filipino trait may then be attributed to the lower class because of the responses we got.

In the end, our experiment did affirm existing norms of proper dining etiquette from the stares and judging reactions we got from the people. This goes to reflect that there is indeed a proper way of eating, particularly using your spoon and fork when dining. Furthermore, the results we got is also a paradox from our existing Filipino culture of “kamayan”. Despite that we are known to eat with our hands and this kind of behavior is uniquely part of our culture, many deem this unacceptable when eating in restaurants. This goes to show that “kamayan” may only be acceptable in certain places and situations and is not applied to all dining experiences.

Fig. 5 Cleaning up the chocolate covered plate using our fingers.

Fig. 6 Using a lot of tissue to wipe off our hands after eating the chocolate ice cream cake with our hands.

Fig. 7 Common reactions would include staring, laughing, and doing a “double take” on the people eating food using their bare hands.

Fig. 8 A diner blatantly staring at MR and Matti as they enjoy their Jolispaghetti.

4. Aside from the norms, what sociological themes are at play for people to react a certain way? Is it a function of gender (gender norms, roles), social class (norms of the rich & the poor), values/beliefs of institutions (religion, family, peer group, etc.)?

Table manners define the meaning of a meal. Eating is a physical need, but meals are also a social ritual. Nothing is as revealing about one’s environment and social adjustment as table manners. Dating back to prehistoric times, our need for preservation and advancement brought to the creation of many new tools that enabled an easier and more productive life. Among many of those tools were eating utensils, which are hand-held tools that enabled us to better prepare, serve, and eat food. These eating tools received countless dynamic advancements in line with the changing tastes, eating habits and technological states of civilizations throughout the ages. Knives, spoons, and forks are ancient inventions but we have been using them as “proper” eating tools for only a few centuries since their introduction into the Filipino culture.

Prehistoric diners used sharp stones, some made sharper by chipping to cut food. Coastal tribes used shells fastened to a stick, which provided a longer reach and protection from hot food. These may have been the humble beginnings of the knife, spoon, and fork we know of today. However, humans recognized that we were born with very useful built-in eating tools - our hands and fingers. People have always eaten with their fingers, which may be messy but otherwise served their purpose.

Eating using the “proper” utensils is actually a Western conceptualization taught to the ancient Filipinos as a means for “civilizing the barbaric man”. As time passed, Filipinos became socialized to this form of eating and has become the acceptable standard in the dining space. While growing up, our parents already taught us to eat “properly” or the “correct way” by using our fork on our right hand and spoon on the left. It seen to be a hygienic and respectable practice especially when dining at a public setting. These utensils were also adapted as a means to curb dining problems such as hot soups, slippery noodles, and sauce-based dishes. By going against this convention through the breaching experiment, we were able to observe that eating with our hands is no longer common practice for its unusual look and is most oftentimes frowned upon. In fact, it is a standard nowadays for restaurants to provide the proper utensils for their diners since it is an expected practice to eat using these tools. When one orders a hot soup, the waiter will immediately provide a spoon. When one orders a salad, a fork and knife will be given. When it is something cold such as a bowl of ice cream, a small dessert spoon would also be given. By this evidence, we see that social institutions from the basic family unit up to the larger and more public sphere of restaurant dining reinforce this “proper” dining etiquette of using utensils rather than just eating with our bare hands.    

5. How did you feel when you did this experiment? How does it feel to deviate from the norms? Were you hesitant to do the activity?

Before we did our experiment, we were actually preparing ourselves on what was to come because what we are about to do is unusual and embarrassing since we normally eat with utensils in a restaurant. We also talked to ourselves that we should not laugh and take this experiment seriously so that other people would not think that what we are doing is a joke.

When we were finally doing the experiment, we were hesitant and shy to start because we were in a public space where a lot of people would see us. However, we just dismissed our discomforts and just went with it thinking that people do not know us and thus the anonymity gave us comfort. We first did our experiment at Jollibee and initially we were unsure on how to eat spaghetti with our hands because the sauce was hot and the noodles were slippery. In that moment we thought why did we not order chicken or burger steak, which was easier to work with our hands. However, we just pushed through with spaghetti reasoning that this would be more unusual, which could garner more attention from others. True enough, once we started eating, it seemed that all eyes were on us. At first, we were laughing at ourselves but we reminded another to stay calm and be serious. In the middle, it was discomforting to eat because we were having a hard time eating properly. We could not really scoop a handful of spaghetti in our hands because the food was slippery. Moreover, it was also embarrassing because our mouth and hands were full of red sauce and it was messy to eat. However, until the end, we stood our ground and continued eating despite the embarrassment and discomfort while we were eating.

Our experience in Casa Verde is different. We were a lot nervous and hesitant at first because we thought that we would be judged by our behavior. Nevertheless, eating with our hands came out smoothly because we already had practice in Jollibee and thus, we already knew what strategies and techniques to make with our hands while eating. At first, we were ashamed because again our mouths and hands were messy and filled with chocolate but eventually we were having fun with what we were doing. It was in that moment that we realized that eating a chocolate ice cream cake was more fun when you use your hands compared to using utensils because it heightens your senses where you would enjoy the feeling of eating chocolate with your hands.

In the end, it was actually liberating to eat with our hands because you can do whatever you like. Although it may be embarrassing and shameful to deviate from the norm because others would judge and think of you differently. However, deviating gave us a sense of freedom because there were no rules and restrictions holding us down. We could do whatever we want and that feeling gave us a sense of enjoyment while doing the experiment.

6. Other observations and analysis that you may have on the activity and on the deviance in general.

Table manners are the rules of etiquette used while eating, which may also include appropriate use of utensils or lack thereof. Different cultures observe different rules for table manners. Each group sets its own standards for how these practices are to be enforced and carried out.

Not knowing how to eat “properly” is a universal sign of outsider status. Through our breaching experiment we discovered that “proper eating” in the current Filipino context involves the kind of food used and the method of eating it. Shoveling food into one’s mouth with a fork or spoon would be seen as an indelicacy for some cultures, whereas the absence of such utensils exemplifies the height of barbarity by the rest. Our hands and fingers may have been the essential means of eating back then, but ever since the introduction of forks, spoons, and knives, the perfectly useful hands and fingers has been socially out; except for the acceptable finger foods such as burgers, fries, and pizza (which are Western conceptions). Through its history, it heavily depended on the elaborate dining habits of the upper classes in the West to refine the use of utensils. As Filipinos, we have become so influenced and socialized by these Western standards of proper dining etiquette.  

The kamayan style of dining incorporates more than just eating with one’s hands. The experience is also about creating a familial and happy atmosphere as diners share a meal together. It brings a sense of community to the dining space. It may be a clumsy way of eating for some diners (especially when dealing with pastas and sauces), but these slip-ups are part of the experience which makes it enjoyable for many.

The norms and values system of a society is a changing standard because the consciousness of the people depends on their social practice. The determinants of this varies a lot on how the social classes view it and what prevailing culture affects its shaping. Kamayan in the present context may be frowned upon now, however the norms change according to the environment or situation and may be modified over time.