Session 27

Food Studies as an interdisciplinary field is interested in the historical, economic, cultural, social, and political investigation of the production, processing, distribution, purchase, preparation, incorporation and disposal of food. The scales on which research in food takes place therefore varies from the global scale to the individual or household level and even more connects those different scales. In our session, we would like to discuss methodological issues that arise from the investigation of a topic as complexity such as food in its manifold functions, meanings and entanglements.

Papers should address one of the following questions either at a general methodological level or at using a concrete example of a specific research project: (1) Which are appropriate methods to analyse topics such as food consumption practices, governance, sustainability, (alternative) food networks, food waste etc? (2) Which data are suitable for which kind of research questions and how can they be collected? How valid are results drawn from the different kind of data?(3) Where and how can data be collected? Which sampling strategies can be applied and how does it affect the generalization of results? (4) When and why is it useful to use a mixed-method or multi-method approach? And which data collection and analysing methods fit best? What are the challenges which the researcher faced then? (5) What are further challenges and opportunities of food studies research? Papers debating general methodological questions and papers discussing specific problems using a concrete data type in a specific research project are both equally welcome.

Methods in Food Studies Research 1

ABSTRACTS

1.Methods in Food Studies Research

Linda Hering  (Technical University of Berlin, Germany)

Julia Fülling  (Technical University of Berlin, Germany)

Food Studies as an interdisciplinary field is interested in the historical, economic, cultural, social, and political investigation of the production, processing, distribution, purchase, preparation, incorporation, and disposal of food. The scales on which research in food takes place therefore varies from the global scale to the individual or household level and even more connects those different scales. In our session, we would like to discuss methodological issues that arise from the investigation of a topic as complexity such as food in its manifold functions, meanings and entanglements. Papers should address one of the following questions either at a general methodological level or at using a concrete example of a specific research project: (1) Which are appropriate methods to analyse topics such as food consumption practices, governance, sustainability, (alternative) food networks, food waste etc.? (2) Which data are suitable for which kind of research questions and how can they be collected? How valid are results drawn from the different kind of data? (3) Where and how can data be collected? Which sampling strategies can be applied and how does it affect the generalization of results? (4) When and why is it useful to use a mixed-method or multi-method approach? And which data collection and analysing methods fit best? What are the challenges which the researcher faced then? (5) What are further challenges and opportunities of food studies research? Papers debating general methodological questions and papers discussing specific problems using a concrete data type in a specific research project are both equally welcome.

2.Mapping Food Chains. Approaching translocality through spatial analysis and visualization

Anke Hagemann  (B-TU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany)

Natacha Quntero González  (B-TU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany)

This paper will illustrate how the fields of architecture and urban planning can enrich methodologies in agri-food studies, “follow the thing” approaches or Global Commodity Chains frameworks through cartographic analysis. We will present and critically reflect on a collection of maps developed by architecture and planning students, which explore conventional food items typically found in large numbers and at low prices in supermarkets in the German city of Cottbus. The maps follow the journey of products such as packaged bread, chicken, bananas and fruit gums, from the places where they are grown or raised to our kitchens. By working across scales and using different mapping techniques, the maps illustrate the global reach and translocality of supply chains, the complex actor-networks within food systems, the built spaces and urban context of particular stations, as well as the current or historical presence of the respective products in the city of Cottbus. This approach to urban food mapping enables mapmakers to understand and visually communicate interdependent processes within food chains and the physical impact of current consumption patterns in urban and rural spaces. It demonstrates how global processes shape local urban configurations and how specific building types emerge. Such explorations can lead to inconspicuous or unknown places—hidden henhouses in German forests, vast banana plantations in Ecuador or supermarket food stalls—yet reveal issues of social and political relevance, such as the unequal distribution of value, colonial patterns in global trade, the carbon footprint of food or the increasing power of large food corporations and retail chains.

3.Food Security in Urban Areas in Botswana: Methodological Considerations

Gwen Lesetedi  (University of Botswana, Botswana)

Maitseo Bolaane  (University of Botswana, Botswana)

Despite the rapid urbanization, the cities are heavily reliant on food production from the rural areas mostly carried out by women. The attainment of food security is very much linked to improved livelihoods among rural and urban households in Botswana. This paper discusses the methodological issues arising out of a study in which the gendered livelihoods and women’s contribution to food security at a household level was examined. Most of the stages of food production take place in the rural areas carried out by women utilizing indigenous knowledge systems and practices associated with food production, processing, storage and marketing most of which occurs in the urban areas. The study had focused on the planting, harvesting, processing and marketing of the morogo (leaves) and dinawa (beans) which comes from the cowpeas plant –a member of the legume family. Using the case study approach and through in-depth interviews the agricultural practices of rural households were profiled and to further explore, rural-urban livelihoods in Botswana, interviews were also extended to randomly selected women in Gaborone representing the urban area. This paper specifically addresses the issue of sampling, data collection and data analysis. In selecting the respondents, purposive sampling was utilized while the case study approach was adopted utilizing in-depth depth interviews allowing the researchers to capture food production in as much details as possible. A major methodological consideration for a study of this nature is having case studies from both the urban and rural areas in order to get a holistic picture of the interconnectedness of livelihoods between the two as illustrated in the study. This highlights the urgent need for a new research agenda in food security in urban areas by taking into consideration the complex web of relations and connections between rural and urban households.

4.Food waste methodologies in Covid19-times – German case studies

Ulrich Juergens (University of Kiel – Geography, Germany)

In comparison to other types of waste, food waste has attracted for a very long-time little attention, because it is often unconsciously and, especially in private households, invisibly disposed of, rather than in formal waste containers. This investigation aims to extend the food waste discourse by considering the spatial dimension, which has been completely neglected thus far. This involves no longer only considering the living conditions of private households on the micro-level, but also focusing on the producers and retail sources of (fresh) foodstuffs that are particularly prone to food waste on the meso-level. The attitudes and perceptions of private households concerning food waste can then be explained and spatially differentiated using the areas of origin and structural characteristics of their food stuffs like production conditions or packaging sizes. This should allow behavioural segmentation to identify target groups among the private households, and their perceptions and behaviour to be linked to shopping patterns and locatable attitudes to groceries and producers such as locality, region and home. Quantitative and qualitative investigations are conducted in rural and urban areas of the case-study region of Schleswig-Holstein (Germany), not only with the aim of diagnosing the causes of food waste, but also to determine the types and extent of communication between the various groups of actors concerned so as to identify lessons that may be learnt in an effort to avoid food waste. It is necessary to address target groups specifically using diverse wording and nudging for different groups of people to sensitise them to food waste. A mixed-method approach, sample size and problems of qualitative and quantitative postal and online data collection will be discussed and how it could be realized in a complex network of stakeholders and households including backlashes in Covid19-times.

Methods in Food Studies Research 2

ABSTRACTS

1.Ethical dilemma in researching on food insecurity in Nigeria: A case study of Enugu State

Ngozi Stella Udechukwu  (University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria)

Enugu State has been confronted with food insecurity as a result of destruction of farm crops in its different parts. This paper centers on ethical dilemmas confronting researching on the causes of food insecurity in the state considering the conflict between the Fulani herdsmen and the indigenous farmers. The study is qualitative using personal experience, newspaper reports, articles and interviews using food sellers within the state. The researcher’s investigation showed that the Fulani and their cows have been noted as the key destroyers of their farm produce that have resulted to scarcity of food stuff in the market. Researching on the cause of food insecurity and trying to illicit measures to tackle insecurity in the area has posed serious dilemma to the researcher trying to overcome ethical issues surrounding such research both to the researcher and the respondents. The researcher is at the risk of not knowing who may be offended by the research findings while the respondents are confronted with fear of whether the researcher is spying them. Convincing the respondents that the research is purely for academic purposes was difficult and it led the researcher to depend on familiar respondents, which is a limitation to the findings and conclusions. This study has implications to social work practice in Nigeria trying to be the voice of the marginalized section in the country.

2.Social interview in food studies: a necessity for Brazilian researchers

Joana Pellerano (Centro Universitário Senac, Brazil)

Our relationships with food infiltrate all social instances and govern social groups’ daily lives. As a result, the difficulties of conducting research in this area are many, since the theme provides different approaches to issues that, at first glance, seem similar (Goody, 1995). As it is a routine topic, it’s common for young Brazilian researchers to be moved more by curiosity than by scientific interest, and an effort is needed to satisfy not only personal interest, but also the academic field’s requirements. So, if one’s goals are not clear, the large amount and variety of data related to eating practices can overwhelm the researcher with results that doesn’t necessarily answer the questions that guide the investigation. Interviews are widely used in food studies also in Brazil, which is confirmed in an analysis of works of Human, Social and Applied Social Sciences carried out recently. Like any other method, the interview should not be used indiscriminately, but as a specific answer to the problems imposed by the goals of the research. The method has ambiguous potential: Guber (2004) recognizes it as one of the most appropriate methods to access social actors’ meanings, but the numerous information it provides are not necessarily those needed and can confuse the researcher, especially an unexperienced one. In order to demystify this method for food studies research, we propose discussing social interview and locating research situations in which that is the best methodological choice. For that, we adopt bibliographic research from which we analyze the particularities of the interview not only as a technique, but as a social relationship from which we can collect research data (Bourdieu, 2008; Guber, 2004; Oliveira, 2006; Sanmartín Arce, 2000), and we address the research needs in the field of food that this method meets (Miller & Deustch, 2009; Poulain & Proença, 2003).

3.Multisensory Discourse Resource Analysis in Foodscapes: Decolonizing Ethnographic Research Practices

Nettie Boivin (University of Jyvaskyla, Finland)

Recently, there has been much discussion around the notion of conceptualizing multisensory discourse as means to move away from ‘human exceptionalism’ colonial discourse and practices embracing new materialist, post-humanist, post-structuralist approaches (LaTour, 2014; Barad, 2007). The multisensory discourse resources (intersecting sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and touch) illustrate evidence in interactional and non-interactional emotional, sense memory moments. These contribute to aspects of ones’ social, familial, community, cultural, ethnic, national, and religious identity. My newly conceptualized multisensory discourse resources (MDR) analysis (Boivin, 2020; 2020; 2021) in two different research contexts revealed often overlooked data, as MDR data are sensory and emotional not centred in linguistic data and that evoke emotional, shared memories (Holmes & Hazen, 2014; Mills, 2016). Language is power and the language of Western academics tends to benefit colonizers rather than colonized (Smith, 2013, 1999; Denzin, Lincoln, & Smith, 2008; Gill, Purru, & Lin, 2012; Atalay, 2006). Observations investigating questions of who, how, and why often contain unconscious inferences and biases of marginalized, colonized and underrepresented groups/people (Denzin, Lincoln, & Smith, 2008). How do we balance our need to assess objective data and our desire to be more inclusive? This paper investigates 1) How can multisensory discourse resources analysis expand our perceptions of what is data and evidence while raising awareness of decolonize ethnographic research practices amongst local social actors, community stakeholders and national, transnational and international policymakers? 2) To what extent can utilizing foodscapes contexts increase strategic bridging of multidisciplinary perspective across academic and community research participation? 3) How can co-construction of bottom-up research practices be vertically transmitted to inform policy-making across multiple intersecting areas (environment, cultural practices, migration, health and well-being)? Thus, expanding traditional, observation practices, which focus on language to include multisensory discourse, creates capacity for voice and agency in colonized and marginalized groups (Boivin, 2020).

4.Towards bridging the positivist/phenomenological divide in food and nutrition security research

France Maphosa (University of Botswana, Botswana)

Martin Kebakile (University of Botswana, Botswana)

Irene Modibetsane (University of Botswana, Botswana)

Research on food and nutrition security has traditionally been largely concerned with agronomic, ecological and production issues. However, attempts to ensure food and nutrition security have achieved partial results. This is because food and nutrition security is a multi-faceted phenomenon with agronomic, ecological, economic, political, and social aspects as causes, as well as consequences. While the development of systems, technologies and practices that would enhance efficiency and effectiveness in food production, a purely technocratic approach to food and nutrition security will always have partial success. Ensuring food and nutrition security is a human activity which requires the methods and theories of the social sciences in understanding issues such as culture, economic status and mindset change in the adoption of innovations and best practices for increased productivity and improved distribution of food, which affect food security. With a particular focus on Botswana, this paper presents a case for bridging the disciplinary gap in traditional research on food and nutrition security which is largely informed by the positivist paradigm and the social sciences phenomenological paradigm of the social sciences. It advocates for the use of mixed methods in food security research which is informed by the realization that reality is both concrete and social constructed.