Social Norms and Cow Tongue Soup

           In Costa Rica I was greeted with an air kiss accompanied by a kissing sound on each cheek from everyone I met. In America we greet each other with handshakes and, if you know the person, a hug. In January of 2019 when I moved to Costa Rica, I was slightly surprised by the abundance of left and right air-cheek kisses I received. Embracing each greeting with joy, I quickly adopted  this greeting as my own. Living in a new country I experienced a variety of different social norms. Some of these social norms I accepted with understanding that this was how Costa Ricans lived, but some of the social norms I questioned. For lunch my host mom loved to make a unique soup. The meat in the soup had an odd consistency. It was chewier than steak, hadless flavor, and was a bit repulsive. In broken Spanish, I asked my host mother about the soup. She replied “vaca de lengua sopa” or in English – cow tongue soup. It took me about thirty seconds to translate and then pure shock was clearly displayed across my face. Out of respect for her and her hospitality, I finished the cup of soup, but never ate cow tongue again. This global learning experience has provided me with new perspectives and a new sense of self-awareness.  I have reflected on the daily choices and routine social norms of which I am accustomed, contrasted with those in Costa Rica, and I can see both the positive and negative implications in our societies.

            Why was I okay with consuming flank steak, but was so repulsed by the idea of eating the tongue of the cow? A cheeseburger was my favorite food at the time and steak was equally delicious. However, the meat that I often enjoyed was never directly associated with the beautiful cows I pass on my walk to school. Knowing that meat comes from animals, I had never once questioned the morality of consuming meat. It is normal to eat meat – to eat animals. Countries all over the world consume all types of creatures.  The foods we eat are often tied directly to the environment that we live in and what is available. However, a larger component that drives a person’s diet is their socioeconomic status and cultural norms. Food is an intricate part of every society. As both a necessity for life and an enjoyable social way to bring people together. My cow tongue soup lunch sent me down a long rabbit hole where I would learn to question social norms and my own habits. Social norms are extremely powerful. A social norm where an entire country greets everyone with air kisses is wonderful. It brings joy and brings a welcoming environment to everyone. However, I also learned that many social norms can have consequences within societies.  Blindly accepting cultural or social norms that are passed down through generations, can at times lead to a contempt perspective when exposed to new norms across different cultures . If we do not question the morality of what is considered normal in our daily lives, norms can form that sow generations of pain.

           While abroad, I took Women’s Health. We discussed the lives of women all around the world and considered the vast differences of a woman’s daily life depending upon where she lives.  One cultural ritual I find deeply concerning is a practice known as female genital mutilation. It is a cultural norm that consists of the removal of external female genitalia or other intentional injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons and is currently practiced in over 31 countries including Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (Female Genital Mutilation, 2020). There are three common types of such mutilation: Type 1 includes the partial or total removal of the clitoral glands (Female Genital Mutilation, 2020). Type 2 involves the partial or total removal of the clitoral glands and the labia minora (Female Genital Mutilation, 2020). Type 3 is also known as infibulation which is the narrowing of the vaginal opening when the labia majora is sealed by stitching (Female Genital Mutilation, 2020). Once a woman is older and married, often deinfibulation is performed which cuts open the sealed labia minora to allow for intercourse and childbirth (Female Genital Mutilation, 2020). Complications of this procedure include long term urinary problems, menstrual problems, increased risk of childbirth complications, and psychological problems among many others. FGM is a social norm that has negatively affected the lives of over 200 million women around the world (Female Genital Mutilation, 2020).

           Although the World Health Organization has put forth efforts to end the practice of FGM, it is still normal for women to be cast out of their society due to rejection from their families and communities if they refuse the treatment. The cultural aspect drives the continuation of this practice on young women. This practice is described in my study guide in Artifact 1 and includes the explanation that Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a religious tradition believed to increase fertility and prosperity.  This is an example of how blind acceptance of social norms could become detrimental to a society. They shape individual choices on a mass scale. The majority of society has the ability to affect the population even when the choices are not morally right.

          In my SPCH 140: Public Communication class, I prepared a policy speech in order to advocate against the practice of FGM. Artifact 2 includes the outline I prepared for the speech. The outline highlights the magnitude of this issue, its barriers, and harm. The practice of FGM is a social norm that is a violation of human rights. The influence of elderly women within these cultures has a profound influence on the lives of these young women experiencing FGM. The health effects often affect women their entire lives. As humans our desire to be accepted in society is so strong that millions of mothers allow FGM to be performed on their daughters every year despite the health risk and implications.

          While the cow tongue soup sparked some questions in me while I was abroad, learning about FGM ignited a fire in my heart to question my everyday decisions. It may sound irrational to Americans, but these mothers believe they are helping their daughters succeed in life. They believe they are preserving their purity and it is the rightful way to transition young girls into society as women. It is what their mom taught them and what their mom’s mom taught them. It is what is accepted. As a society if we are not questioning what is morally right, we could accidentally slip into a complacent mindset. Previously, I never questioned eating a cheeseburger because it is part of my normal culture growing up in the South. I questioned eating cow tongue because,for me, it was not common to consume. 

            The consumption of meat is normal for most of the world. 80 billion animals are slaughtered each year for meat (Ritchie, 2017). American society accepts meat consumption for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as normal. In Costa Rica, meat is also a socially normal food to consume; however, due to it being high in price it is not normally consumed with every meal. Rice and beans are served with every meal and provide necessary protein if meat is not consumed. Researching the reality of the meat industry I was appalled at the negative effects meat consumption has on our environment and health. Meat production is the leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions contributing more than planes, trains, and automobiles combined. Animal agriculture is responsible for 91% of Amazon rainforest deforestation, uses 45% of Earth’s land, and 1/3 of the Earth’s clean drinking water (Zee, 2018). In Artifact 3, a personal advocacy speech outline that was written for SPCH 140 discusses the environmental, personal health, and animal cruelty issues centered around the consumption of meat. Artifact 3 emphasizes that one single hamburger requires 55 square feet of rainforest to produce, uses 2,500 gallons of water, and accounts for the release of 75 kg of CO2 emissions. All of that is equivalent to the damage of driving your car for three weeks (Zee, 2018)! 

           In addition to the effect that meat consumption has on the environment it also has a huge impact on our personal health. The world health organization classifies red meat as a group one carcinogen which is the same group as cigarettes. Inversely, the removal of meat consumption in your diet actually has been proven to improve one’s overall health.  Lastly there is the ethical issue of speciesism or the murdering over 80 billion animals a year. Despite all these international issues that meat consumption drives, it is still socially accepted to eat meat with every meal. People eat meat because it tastes good, is abundant within our societies, and is socially accepted. The meat industry is driven by complicated underlying factors as well including beliefs, ethics, and habits; all of which cause the majority of the planet to overlook the major warning signs of consuming large amounts of meat. The majority of people care about their health, care about animals, and would argue that it is important to protect the environment. And yet, they still consume meat. I consumed meat because it is what was put on the table for me to eat my entire life. Growing up in the southern United States, meat consumption was normal due to easy access and low cost. However, my current diet now consists around a more nutritious plant based diet. Artifact 4 is an easy high plant-based protein, healthy fat and carb recipe that includes all essential amino acids and is of nutritious value. It is a combination from my host mom’s cooking and my American mom’s cooking. Since rice and beans are a nutritionally complete source of food, low in cost, and easy access I include them in many of my meals. 

            The cow tongue soup sent me down a rabbit hole of the truths about the food industry. Through reflection and self-education, I am now able to make conscious decisions on my lifestyle choices. Now, as a conscientious citizen, I have learned that not everyone has the resources or is able to eat a clean diet. As a current sonography student, my studies have involved a large majority of patients with cardiovascular disease. Many socioeconomic factors including income, education, and access to healthy food directly affect the cardiovascular health of patients at Providence Hospital. In addition, the social norms within rural South Carolina involving culture are factors that play a prominent contributing role to lifestyle. During my time with patients, I have seen how many factors affect one’s overall health and lifestyle choices. Social norms within a society have a strong pull along with many other socioeconomic factors. As a future physician, it is my goal to educate myself about these socioeconomic and cultural factors that affect lifestyle diseases. It is my hope to help my future patients implement healthier lifestyle changes to better their health and increase their quality of life. 

            Social norms affect the way people live and will have direct effects on societies. In addition to social norms there are dozens of other factors within society that shape the lifestyle's of the residing individuals. Whether it is air kiss accompanied by a kissing sound on each cheek or mutilating female genitals, the implications of social norms on societies is powerful. As humans we are creatures of habit, and it goes against human nature to learn and change our norms. I now understand the repercussions of not questioning the things society is telling me. As an unperfect vegan, I make the decision daily to make decisions greater than myself. As a future physician, I will continue to educate myself on diet and exercise in relation to cardiovascular health in order to best support my future patient’s health.  Similar to the power of millions following a social norm, there is also power in one person’s informed and conscious decision to choose differently.