The Temptation of Power and Status

Power, colonialism, and the spread of culture are core areas of sociology and have been massive interests of mine. This week, I was privileged to turn those interests into a case study — an exploration of fine dining that I had never before attempted. What you’re about to see is an exploration of the sociology and history behind French haute cuisine, done in collaboration — my first! — with The Temptation, a French restaurant in Da Nang blending classic techniques with local Vietnamese flair.

A trio of delectable starters, including a charcoal salmon that was just oomami melting on the tongue.

I want to say, up front, that anything I say about The Temptation is my own opinion. I reached out to them for this opportunity and made clear, from the start, that I was not looking for any form of compensation for my efforts, nor did they give any.

What follows is a discussion on soft power, cultural hegemony, localization, and the currencies of status. It’s a little long, so I’ll put chapter times on the screen — pause to read them — if you want to skip to a particular section. The central argument is this: Fine dining is an expression of social and cultural performance of status, taste, and power. It uses its norms — from the dress code to the table settings — and its price as barriers to separate the experience from the everyday and establish its own elite social field.