Instructor's Manual1 for Chapter 6: Northern and Southern Europeans
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Instructor’s Manual1 for Chapter 6: Northern and Southern Europeans Learning Objectives 1. List the Northern and the Southern European countries. 2. Discuss the immigration patterns, historical socioeconomic influences, and current locations of northern and southern Europeans in America today. 3. Compare the typical religions, family structures, and traditional health beliefs and practices of northern and southern Europeans—before and after immigration. 4. Discuss the differences between the staples and regional variations in ingredients between northern and southern Europeans. 5. Identify key foods for each of the food groups for the northern Europeans and how they have adapted these foods in the U.S. 6. Identify key foods for each of the food groups for the southern Europeans and how they have adapted these foods in the U.S. 7. Describe regional specialties and dishes these immigrants have contributed to the current American diet. 8. Identify health concerns and counseling strategies associated with the nutritional intake of northern and southern Europeans. Chapter Summary Some of the largest American ethnic groups come from northern and southern Europe. These ethnic groups introduced many of what we consider to be American foods and food habits. Each ethnic group from northern and southern Europe has brought a unique cuisine that, through interactions with other cultures and ingredients available here in America, resulted in what is often considered to be the foundation of the typical American diet. Northern Europe includes the countries of Great Britain—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—as well as Ireland and France. Many of the early immigrants to the United States came from these countries. At the time of the American Revolution, one-half of the people in the colonies were descendants from British forbearers. Many English, Scots, and Scotch-Irish immigrated to the northeast and to the eastern seaboard. Two million Irish, mainly Catholics, immigrated to America between 1840 and 1860 because of widespread famine in Ireland. Immigration of the French has been relatively small- scale but the most constant of any European country. French Canadians immigrating to the U.S. also settled in northern New England and southern Louisiana. The British and Irish are generally fully assimilated into mainstream America. The French are more fully assimilated into American culture than French Canadians. While the British are more often Protestants, the Irish and French are often Roman Catholic. The “typical” American family is modeled on the British. Many of the current, majority cultural beliefs regarding health in America had their origin in northern Europe and a “good” diet is considered essential to health. The Cajuns of Louisiana may also use home remedies and consult folk healers. Great Britain, Ireland, and France all influenced one another and deeply influenced American food and food habits. The common use of animal products, bread, oatmeal, and potatoes are from Great Britain and Ireland. French foods are generally classified into haute cuisine and provincial cuisine and French bread is known throughout the world. Regions in France each have different styles of cooking and have specialized ingredients associated with the region. British and Irish foods are simple and hardy. In Great 1 By Tawni Holmes, Ph.D., R.D., University of Central Oklahoma 1 Britain and Ireland “tea” refers to a full meal (high tea) or a lighter snack. In France there is very little snacking between the breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. Christmas, Easter, and New Year’s Day are commonly celebrated throughout these countries. Many foods eaten today are adaptations that the European early immigrants made to Native American fare, which is seen especially in regional dishes. French food in America is usually associated with fine French restaurants and French imports. Cajuns’ creole cuisine remains popular in the southeast. The influence of the British and French on American cuisine is one reason the U.S. diet is high in cholesterol and fat, and low in fiber and complex carbohydrates. In nutritional counseling the practitioner should remember that clients of British and Irish decent tend to be reserved and value privacy. The Southern Europeans countries covered include Italy, southern France, Spain, and Portugal. These countries all share foods, ingredients, and a historic Greco-Roman influence. Italians immigrated to the U.S. from the poorer sections of southern Italy and Sicily and settled in large urban sections of northeastern American cities. There are estimated to be 17 million Americans of Italian decent and most live in large urban areas. The earliest Europeans in America were the Spanish who settled early in Florida, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Louisiana and Texas. Today most Spanish speakers in the U.S. are from Latin America not Spain. The Portuguese are currently one of the larger groups of immigrants among the various European groups. The Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese share the Roman Catholic religion. The father as breadwinner was typical of the Italian and Spanish families. These countries and regions share similar ingredients across the countries but the presentation and preparations are distinctly different. The influences of other cultures such as the Muslim influences in Spain and Portugal are seen in dishes and ingredients. These countries all adopted “new” world foods into core aspects of the diet. Staple foods in Italy reflect regional differences with Northern Italian foods using pasta made with eggs, cheese, meats, creams, butter, and rice more typically. Southern Italian cuisine features pasta made without eggs, tomato sauces, and olive oil, and includes more beans and vegetables. Staples in Spain include olives, eggs, lamb, fish, stews, garlic, and tomatoes. Regional differences and Muslim influences in the diet distinguish local Spanish cuisines. Fish, rice, potatoes, and bread are typically eaten by the Portuguese. The Azores Islands also provide more tropical foods to the Portuguese diet. Lunch is typically the largest meal of the day throughout these countries of southern Europe. Special celebrations are often associated with religious occasions such as Easter and Christmas but include other saints’ feast days and holy days. Many older Italians categorize foods as being heavy or light, wet or dry, and acid or nonacid. Balancing these foods with a person’s condition maintains good health. Southern Europeans are fully assimilated into mainstream American life after several generations and traditional dishes might only be eaten on special occasions. While the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with lower disease rates, throughout southern Europe today the diet now includes more meat and fewer plant-based foods. In counseling, the conversational style is animated, warm, and expressive. Cultural Controversy – The “French Paradox” (Box) Although French men have a lower rate of cardiovascular disease than do men of any other industrialized nation, they also have high intakes of saturated fats and cholesterol. Potential reasons for this paradox might be the diet, the greater levels of physical activity, or a statistical anomaly. Chapter Outline I. Northern Europeans—Ireland; France, and Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) 2 A. Cultural Perspective 1. History of Northern Europeans in the United States a. Immigration Patterns (1) Great Britain (a) From 1607, people from GB settle in America—mainly in east and northeast (b) At the time of the revolution ½ of the people in the colonies are descendants of GB (c) Further immigration patterns include many from rural areas (d) Estimated that 1.5 million Scots have immigrated to America (e) Scots often arriving to work as professionals or skilled laborers (2) Ireland (a) Early on (1600s and 1700s) the Irish immigrated from the “Scotch Irish” (b) Settled in Pennsylvania, also Maryland, Georgia (c) 2 million Irish arrive between 1840 and 1860 (d) Religious persecution and crop failures in Ireland (e) With this wave of immigration, Irish Catholics become the first large ethnic minority in the U.S. (3) France (a) Relatively small numbers, but most constant of immigrants (b) French Canadians immigrated from Canada (c) They settled in northern New England and southern Louisiana (Cajuns) b. Current Demographics and Socioeconomic Status (1) British and Irish (a) Mainly fully assimilated but pockets of regionally ethnic groups (b) 34 million Americans are of Irish descent (c) Still an identifiable ethnic group (2) French (a) The Cajuns of Louisiana are of French Canadian descent (b) French more fully assimilated into American culture than French Canadians 2. Worldview a. Religion (1) British—participate in most U.S. faiths, originally mainly Protestant (2) Irish and French—Roman Catholic b. Family (1) British—model for the “typical” American family with only direct relatives living together and keeping separate from other, extended family (2) Irish—relatively egalitarian attitude towards sex roles and education (3) French (a) Cajun families living in rural areas typically have many children, strong family ties (b) In New England the Franco-Americans showed little assimilation for generations c. Traditional Health Beliefs and Practices (1) Many of America’s majority cultural beliefs regarding health originated in northern Europe (2) French (a) French Canadians learned many medical uses of plants from Native Americans (b) In Louisiana, Cajuns still