Social Hierarchy In Latin America

Social hierarchy plays an instrumental role in determining what foods people ate and preferred throughout Latin America. Often times certain foods were seen as superior to others as were certain people. One's status in society could oftentimes be associated with the foods they ate and position along the food distribution ladder. One prime example of food's role in determining social hierarchy is the difference of preferences concerning new world and old world food products. Indigenous communities of latin america and spaniards had diets that were extremely dissimilar. Spaniards observed the Natives eating vermin animals such as spiders, insects, rodents and associated these acts with beastilaity (Earl, Rebecca, 119). Much of this disdain had

The government who could control price and supply if there is not a scarcity present. The producers could control how much food enters a market by having control on aspects of production such as growing animals and plants and price if there is a free market in place. Consumers were at the bottom and their way of life was directly influenced by actions of the government and producers. An example of how social hierarchy determined food production is the paternalistic nature of government officials and periods of liberalism that followed in Salvador Brazil. Paternalism government policy is one in which the government interferes with or without citizens approval and is justified in its belief to protect them from harm (the government knows best). This is similar to a doctor deciding what treatment a patient needs without getting their opinion. The government in brazil set price caps on food items in order to ensure affordability and enacted regulations on suppliers (graham, 173). The city council most of whom were white, goal was also to prevent middle men from buying up food stocks before they reached public market (lecture). By forcing producers to sell in public markets and setting price caps there was belief that middle men would be eradicated due to little incentive (Graham, 175). As a result of tight regulations many producers felt their way of life was threatened and the government acted unfair. Many changed their ways of production such as butchers leaving bad meat for consumers and selling high quality meat on the black market and venues selling spoiled food to maximize profit (Graham, 176, 177). Liberalism during this period of time in Salvador was defined as a free market system in which food can be bought and sold at an unregulated price/amount. The belief was that competition amongst sellers would lead to fair market based on