Overview

The distrust of insects as a food source is a major issue of people in Western society, while people in other parts of the world value insects for their accessibility and nutritional value. Insects can make an individual sick if not prepared properly, just as eating undercooked chicken or beef (Espinosa 2020). Yet, in Western society there is still a disconnect. Insects are not considered a food source in Western society because of the connection to filth and disease, along with primitive behavior. Yet, more notably people do not eat insects because of the association with certain groups of people. Edward Said’s theoretical framework of “orientalism” indicates how Western society treats other groups of people because of the disapproval of their cultural practices. People who eat insects are othered by Westerners, similar to how insects are used to “other” particular disliked groups. Therefore eating insects is not just the fear of the physical insects, but the symbolic fear associated with going against Western culture’s ideals.