The formation of a national cuisine and cookbook is a major symbol of national identity and is a representation of a people who have established shared foodways and developed a particular culinary palate and vocabulary. But these recipes are not just dishes, they are a way of living. These recipes are not just nourishment for the body, but for the soul. Recipes can call forth an entire history of a people if one is willing to savor the stories hidden in a mouthful of plátano maduro. Food can also serve to understand the impacts of colonization, globalization, and the ebbs and flows of culture. But preparing and consuming culturally significant foods has the potential to either illuminate or obscure that history. In this study I examine culinary social practices of puertorriqueñas in relation to cultural identities, histories, and colonization. I use settler and neo-colonial theory and qualitative research methods to unearth and attend to cultural history and colonial trauma. Central to this inquiry lie the questions 1) What stories do Puerto Rican culinary traditions hold? 2) How are these culinary traditions a reflection of ethnic mestizaje and forgotten colonial wounds? 3) And what would a decolonial recetario look like? To understand these aspects of Puerto Rico’s national cuisine I turn to cookbooks, recipe videos, and Puerto Rican women. Although they are vital to the continuity of these cultural practices there is a scarcity of literature exploring how women perform cultural stewardship through food.

Understanding sustainability worldviews and resulting behaviors is critical to the field of Sustainability Science. As humans face increasingly complex socio-ecological challenges, it is vital to address the lenses through which individuals see the world and act upon. Thus, it is imperative first to understand people's knowledge about and disposition toward sustainability to promote behavioral change. Equally important is acknowledging the cognitive nuances and limitations experienced by individuals attempting to engage in sustainability practices. Studies have shown that cognitive processes, including cognitive dissonance, carry-over effects, moral licensing, and hypocrisy play a significant role in adopting sustainability practices, even amongst sustainability-conscious individuals. In this dissertation, I present a mixed-method exploration of the public's worldviews of sustainability and the cognitive challenges to the adoption of sustainable lifestyles. In my first study, I explore worldviews of sustainability through the development, administration, and quantitative analysis of an online survey. The survey measured five sustainability constructs to explore the sustainability worldviews of a representative sample of the U.S. population (N = 346). Results indicate two separate groups with distinct worldviews: Ambivalents and Sympathizers. Ambivalents tend toward neutral sustainability worldviews, while Sympathizers perceive sustainability more favorably. In study two, I present an analytical autoethnography, shedding light on the attitude-behavior gap in sustainability by focusing on my sustainability worldviews and experiences as a practitioner. Within, I provide an insider's account of the nuances and limitations one experiences while engaging in and striving for a sustainable lifestyle and practices. The autoethnography results reveal the tensions between cognitive processes and the adoption of a sustainable lifestyle. Collectively, my research results offer the sustainability movement insights about possible paradigm shifts toward sustainability based on barriers associated with worldview factors and cognitive processes.