Looking at the Globalized Network of Power and Culture in Mintz

Wang Hongyu Zhang Yahui

（ Central Minzu University，Beijing，China）

JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGY，VOL.6，NO.6，13-17，2015 （CN51-1731/C，in Chinese）

DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2015.06.02

Abstract：

In January 1948，Sidney Wilfred Mintz went to a southern coast city in Puerto Rico to start his fieldwork of anthropology.The region was planted almost entirely with sugarcane，which was for the sugar industry in the North American market.On basis of this fieldwork，he produced his book Sweetness and Power.Mintz focused on sugar plantations as representing the early stage of industrialization in England and colonial America and the Caribbean.He took sugar as his focus，placing its production，consumption，naturalness and social consciousness，constraint of power and the significance of its production into a narrative historical structure.He outlined and traced the transformation of sugar from its incarnation as a luxury good to industrialized production，and closely linked it with the accumulation of wealth in primitive capitalism，the slavery mode of production，and the political and economic relationships among countries.From this a network of power and culture was constructed  which paralleled the global trade system. In this paper，we discuss the book Sweetness and Power in four parts.

1.The peoples preference for “sweetness” was created at the time when European political，military and economic power began to change the world.The food people eat and the act of eating not only have a certain physical meaning，but also a deeper meaning reflecting both social and cultural aspects.Sharing food not only creates social ties among people，but also helps to release any tensions between an individual and a group.For example，every time Bushmen eat meat，one can observe their persons identity，connection with others and their mutual obligations.In addition，peoples choice of food also indicates the identity of the people who eat it.Because both food itself and taste have their own implied meanings，Mintz stresses in his book Sweetness and Power that if we want to learn the history of sugarcane，we must understand the meaning behind eating sugar.

2.Sweetness and Power provides a relatively detailed introduction to the history of the production and spread of cane sugar.Sugarcane was first planted in ancient times of New Guinea;the main region for cane sugar production region seems to have been along the western coastal area of the Indian River Delta from the 4th to 8th century.Only after 8th century did cane sugar begin to be known and consumed by Europeans.One of the results of the Crusades is that Europeans became cane sugar producers themselves.The sugar industry on the Atlantic Islands developed by Portugal and Spain profoundly influenced and changed sugar consumption in Europe.One of the characteristics of the sugar industry developed by the Spanish and Portuguese on the Atlantic Islands was the use of slave labor.The role played by the sugar industry in some countries policies was even to shape directly their political future.In the first decades of the 17th century，Caribbean plantations were set up by Britain，Holland and France，until the mid-19th Century when Cuba and Brazil became the main centers of sugar production in the New World.

3.Taking British society as a case study，Sweetness and Power introduces us to the history of the consumption of sugar.The British history of sugar is marked by two basic changes.The first sign of change occurs from 1750，when sweetened tea and maltose becomes popular;the second marker begins around 1850，when the mass consumption of sugar appears on the stage of history.Sugar transformed from being a rare good in 1650 to a luxury good in 1750，and then in 1850 to becoming one of the necessities of life.In addition，after 1850，the largest consumer group of sugar was the poor.This contrasts with 1750 during which time the main consumers were the rich.This change marks the change of sugar from a rare good into one of daily necessity，and transformed it into the first commodity connected with the complex relationships between capitalist labor productivity and consumption.This is the direct consequence resulting from the various latent powers of British society，and the direct result of power practice.Sweetness and Power tells us that the consumption of sugar actually was not associated with nutrition，human nature，or the addiction of the “sweettooth”.Instead，it is closely related to fundamental changes in England.During this process，England transformed from a medieval society founded on the basis of a class system and identity system into a democratic，capitalist，and industrialized society.

4.The formation of the modern capitalist world system has become a current topic in present academic circles in the social sciences.In discussing this topic，different scholars have different focuses and starting points.For instance，Eric Wolf described the history of the capitalist world system since 1400 by taking “production” as the central theme.He emphasized that Western and nonWestern societies jointly entered the same historical process.For him，that culture and society is only an ideology nested within some kind of production mode，and that the main contradiction of society is the conflict between original ideology and capitalist ideology.Immanuel Wallerstein discussed the modern worldsystem on the basis of “exchange” and trading shifting from luxury goods to the bulk goods.The empire accomplished its global expansion through political and economic power，and formed a broad，centerperiphery pattern.Sidney Mintz focused on the “consumption” of sugar，described in detail its history，concepts，consumer groups，sites of consumption，and the “extensification” and “intensification” of the meaning of consumption，in order to draw the outline of the power andculture network of the capitalist world system.

Key Words： sugar;production;consumption;power

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