Summary:
This is an account of ethnographic research carried out in four Nordic schools, one from each of the Nordic countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The purpose is clearly stated in the abstract, “A study of the different food messages that children encounter and their own reflections of these messages” (Johansson et al, 26). This study was not only to examine what children eat, but the knowledge about the food and the contexts in which certain food s were consumed. Children were given disposable cameras to document their own ‘foodscapes’ and participated in small group discussions- these actions allowed the children to act as co-researchers, rather than ‘subjects.’ A conclusion this study came to was that foodscapes are present in nearly all aspects of life. Food finds its way into social situations, family life, and festive occasions, to name a few. Food is everywhere, and the earlier in life the contexts are taught, the more conscious one will be in their own foodscape.
My Thoughts:
The incorporation of children as ‘co-researchers’ is a fascinating idea to me. Photo documentation and elicitation is one of my favorite tools in the ‘ethnographic toolbox,’ so to have allowed the children to take photos of their foodscapes and help analyze them is a great (and successful) idea.
The authors define ‘foodscape’ as ‘a concept dealing with the effects of food and how food is affected’ (30), in other words, a foodscape is not only looking at and analyzing the food, but at the context in which the food is consumed.
Two contexts that were most deeply analyzed were home and school. Food in the home was similar between all four Nordic countries, but schools greatly differed. In Finland and Sweden, children eat in a cafeteria; while in Denmark and Norway, children eat at their desks in their classrooms. This difference in settings, also leads to a difference in the food consumed. The children eating at their desks brought food from home, and the children eating in the cafeteria eat ‘hot lunch’ or food from school. These settings also influenced social interactions, in a cafeteria setting, more opportunity for social bonds to form was apparent, and in the classroom, lunch breaks are not as distinct since there is no change in setting from learning to eating.
Eating at home was preferred by children form all countries. They saw food at home was tastier and as a time to bond with family. Being in a “cozy environment’ was important in distinguishing the difference in eating at school and at home. More ‘junk’ food was eaten in the home setting, however, mostly on the weekends. During family time, watching movies, or play dates with friends, ‘junk’ food was consumed- chips, candy, soda, etc. All of which was determined by the children to be ‘unhealthy’ but fine to eat under special circumstances.
This research is really exciting for numerous reasons. First, I love the use of photography to document and analyze data. Second, having the children involved act as ‘co-researchers’ was a really great tactic in really trying to find out foodscapes from the child’s perspective. Finally, showing the dichotomies between the different contexts in which food is consumed in becoming increasingly important, all throughout the world. Food is not the only factor in people’s foodscapes, but the place, time, and situations all need to be addresses when researching.
To conclude, I'd like to leave you with this quote discussing 'taste:'
"Taste is a complax matter, not only dependent on the individual's taste-buds, but constructed within social and cultural settings, forming"taste communities." (35)
-Holly
Citation:
Johansson, Barbo, et al. "Nordic Children's Foodscapes: Images and Reflections." Food, Culture & Society. Vol. 12, No.1. 2009: 25-51.
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