Celebrity chefs and masculinities among male cookery trainees in vocational education

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine how media-generated professional identities in the culinary sector are reflected in Danish male cookery students’ narratives about their own identity, experiences and expectations about the trade. Hence, this study takes its starting point in studies that show how the broad popularity of the culinary profession – almost exclusively through male chefs – seems to be attracting more male students to the cooking programme. The previous research indicates, however, that there is a risk of unfulfilled expectations when cookery students realise the hard work involved in working in a professional kitchen. It is this contrast between the media presentation and the practical reality of a profession like cookery that we wish to explore from the students’ perspective.

Keywords:

• Vocational Education and Training
• gender and learning
• gender and educational training
• history of education
• gender – professional change

Notes

1. Eight students from the upper secondary school, six students from the VET programme in auto mechanic, six students from the culinary VET programme and four students from the VET programme in business/commerce.

2. Bocuse d’Or is an international and prestigious competition in the culinary arts. Bocuse d’Or has been held in Lyon every second year since 1987 and is named after the French chef Paul Bocuse.