Normalization of violence in commercial kitchens through food media

https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211005138

Commentary

The study, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, found that there are 2.53 million cooks and chefs in the United States. The study also states that one in four have experienced physical violence in the workplace, with approximately 632,500 victims.

This figure does not account for psychological and sexual violence, which makes it an investigation into why violence is so prevalent in the kitchen.

Using data from 50 in-depth interviews with kitchen workers and an analysis of the　food media, the study showed that while workplace violence in the kitchen can be attributed to typical causes such as occupational stress, there are sources that are being overlooked.

This indicates that a normalization of violence through food media may be occurring, with bullying and harassment being romanticized and glorified as a product of the kitchen subculture by exploring TV shows like "Hell's Kitchen" and memoirs of chefs like Bodin. are supposed to grasp this behavior as normal.