Betty Crocker and the 5 C’s

While we’ve been on quarantine due to the Covid-19 response, I have had time to pull out some of my moms old cookbooks. As my sister and I look through some of these cookbooks, I noticed an old cookbook called Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Boys and Girls. We laughed at the old pictures of the boys and girls in the book, however there is more to the book that shows a part of the history of our society that most people would not recognize. The 5 C’s; change over time, context, causality, and complexity that, which correlates with this book will be explored.

Betty Crocker is a well known food company under General Mills is the name used in an advertising campaign, probably used to relate to women, more specifically stay-at-home women. This first edition cookbook (that I am referencing) was printed in 1957, a time when the men would work and women would be in charge of the household.

Change over time is quite obvious in our society, since roles have changed. Pictures of girls in the kitchen were very prominent throughout the cookbook. In fact, boys were pictured in the outdoor section of the cookbook. Another big change in this book is that there were no brown or black kids who were pictured in this cookbook. The kids that were referenced or pictured in the book were all Caucasian children.

Context of this cookbook references all Betty Crocker products that help make the food. This is a very old-fashioned way of cooking. Today, we refer to more natural ingredients that are used in recipes and cookbooks. Betty Crocker offered a quick alternative to a variety of foods that would help women in the the 1950’s prepare delicious food in a timely manner, in order for dinner to be ready for the family.

Causality which refers to the relationship of the cookbook to the people. Do to the ignorance that Betty Crocker was only used by Caucasion families rather than other families. We know that there are a number of different ethnicities in the United States during this time, however none of them were included in this cookbook. Boys were hardly included in the cookbook themselves. The relationship to any child that was using this cookbook would assume that you were a female in the kitchen.

Complexity through the cookbook was very minimal. During this period of time, women were trying to find new techniques and quick dinner recipes for their family. The microwave was a huge and popular invention during this time. In fact, not everyone had a microwave, or not everyone could afford one, which may be the reason why is was not referenced in this cookbook.

The contingency related to this cookbook was that they assumed society would stay the same as in the 1950's. I’m so thankful that we have moved past this time and we embrace all different people, whether they are in the kitchen or not. We’ve learned how we as Americans can embrace different backgrounds and that women/girls are not the only ones in the kitchen using an oven, but that men/boys can cook just as well for the family.