A quote by Margaret Mead "Men may cook or weave or dress dolls or hunt hummingbirds, but if such activities are appropriate occupations for men, then society votes them as important. But when the same occupations are performed by women, they are regarded as less important"(Cooper, 1998, p. 86).

The French Military Invades the Kitchen

The basis of the French culinary world is focused upon the reality which denotes an emphasis on "…the conviction that women can not be chefs has become so much a part of the French culture that it has even been institutionalized in the French language"(Rogov, 1995, p.1). The evolution of the culinary world being characterized as masculine is derived from the origin of the French word for chef which implies " 'head' or 'chef' and is a masculine term specific to men only"(Cooper, 1998, p.28). A famous quote from the French Chef Paul Bocuse in the 1970's concerning the status of women chefs was as follows "I'd rather have a woman in the bed than at the stove"("Women Chefs: Chopping Sexism to Bits," 1999, p.1).

Early on, the combined influence of both French men and Escoffier's militaristic style dominated the culinary field. The effect of Escoffier's militaristic influence upon the culinary field eliminated any woman's aspiration to become a chef. For example, Escoffier designed a culinary style modeled upon the hierarchy of a brigade system. Escoffier's model brigade system, which was implemented at The Savoy Hotel, incorporated French ideals upon which he insisted that professional food only "came from the hands of men and that women were only useful in their home kitchens, making standard domestic fare"("Women Chefs: Chopping Sexism to Bits," p.2).

The historical bias evident in the culinary field by both French and American male chefs has created an immovable "glass ceiling" for many aspiring woman within the food industry, not only being chefs. The "glass ceiling" of the culinary field remains firmly rooted due to the typical excuse that women are unreliable because they "will become pregnant and leave." The effect of sexism upon women in the culinary field is evident through the "macho gibes" techniques enforced by many male chefs, or even waiters, in prestigious kitchens. In the upper-scale restaurants, female waiters are rarely seen. The result of men within the food industry implementing their "macho gibes" techniques in prestigious kitchens, is the bolstering of their status through the intimidation of females that try to get positions of power within the food industry.

Sexual Harassment Overview	The Impact of Sexual Harassment	What Motivates Harassers
The History of Harassment	A Man's Kitchen	References