Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 2009
This paper uses the concept of 'moral economy' to challenge the conventional view that defines mo... more This paper uses the concept of 'moral economy' to challenge the conventional view that defines morality and the market as oppositional terms. Drawing on evidence from life history interviews with key actors in the British food industry, the paper outlines how moral and ethical questions are articulated through notions of space and time. Using case study material from the chicken and sugar industries, the paper examines the way that ethical and moral issues are expressed through the dimensions of time (via notions of remembering and forgetting) and space (via notions of connecting and disconnecting) and via notions of visibility and invisibility. The paper concludes by examining how our understanding of the moral economies of food can be advanced through the adoption of a relational view of geographical scale and temporal connection, contrasting the attribution of individual blame with a politics of collective responsibility. key words moral economy food and farming space and time chicken sugar Britain
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 2004
Focusing on the resilience of distinctive local consumption cultures, this paper challenges some ... more Focusing on the resilience of distinctive local consumption cultures, this paper challenges some of the more sweeping claims that have been advanced in the name of 'globalization'. Thinking about a 'globalizing' rather than a fully 'globalized' world encourages us to examine the deeply contested nature of the concept and to explore the geographically uneven nature of recent economic, political and cultural transformations. This paper approaches globalization as a site of struggle rather than as an established fact, emphasizing the need for empirically grounded studies of the impact of 'globalization' on consumer cultures in different geographical contexts. The paper examines the way that producers have 'customized' their products for different markets (drawing on evidence from China and South Africa). It then reviews case study evidence from three contrasting consumption cultures: consumption and 'public culture' in India, 'consumer nationalism' in China, and 'artful consumption' in Russia. The paper concludes by identifying some current debates and outlining some directions for future research, including a re-emphasis on consumption and material culture; an exploration of consumption as social practice; the delineation of commodityspecific consumption cultures; and some reflections on the political, ethical and methodological issues that are being raised in contemporary consumption research.
In the Preface to his latest work, David Harvey describes himself as a 'restless analyst... more In the Preface to his latest work, David Harvey describes himself as a 'restless analyst' of the urban scene. He is more commonly considered as one of the most influential Anglo-American geographers of the post-war period. Indeed, his own intellectual development mirrors the ...
In recent years there have been repeated calls for a convergence between ‘the cultural’ and ‘the ... more In recent years there have been repeated calls for a convergence between ‘the cultural’ and ‘the economic’. This paper provides a specific take on these issues through an exploration of the contested geographies of contemporary commercial culture. Traditionally, ‘culture’ has been associated with meaning and creativity, with works of the imagination and aesthetic practices that are far removed from the pursuit of economic profit. By contrast, ‘commerce’ has conventionally been regarded with disdain by critically minded social scientists, signalling a vulgar and materialistic world, devoid of morality, where human agency is subordinated to the logic of capital. This paper aims to challenge such dualistic thinking by exploring the commodification of cultural difference and by demonstrating that the rational calculus of the market is inescapably embedded in a range of cultural practices. The argument moves from an analysis of linear commodity chains to an exploration of more complex ci...
Building on previous work concerning the gendered nature of domestic space, this paper focuses on... more Building on previous work concerning the gendered nature of domestic space, this paper focuses on the kitchen as a key site in which gendered roles and responsibilities are experienced and contested. As men have begun to engage more frequently in cooking and other domestic practices (albeit selectively and often on their own terms), the paper argues that kitchens have become 'crowded' spaces for women. Drawing on evidence from focus groups, interviews and ethnographic observation of kitchen practices in South Yorkshire (UK), we suggest that men's entry into the kitchen has facilitated the expression of a more diverse range of masculine subjectivities, while also creating new anxieties for women. Specifically, our evidence suggests that family meals may be experienced as a site of domestic conflict as well as a celebration of family life; that convenience and shortcuts can be embraced by women without incurring feelings of guilt and imperfection; that cooking is being embraced as a lifestyle choice by increasing numbers of men who use it as an opportunity to demonstrate competence and skill, while women are more pragmatic; ; and that kitchens may be experienced as 'uncanny' spaces by women as men increasingly assert their presence in this domain. Our analysis confirms that while the relationship between domestic practices and gendered subjectivities is changing, this does not amount to a fundamental 'democratisation' of domesticity with significantly greater equality between men and women.
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 1999
Focusing on the commodification of various forms of cultural difference, this paper reviews recen... more Focusing on the commodification of various forms of cultural difference, this paper reviews recent work within the 'globalization' and 'creolization' paradigms, outlining an agenda for future research. Rather than condemning commodification as an unwarranted threat to the 'authenticity' of local cultures, the paper argues for a more complex understanding of people's relationship with the world of goods. Using a variety of examples, it is argued that the 'traffic in things' is associated with a wide range of meanings and a diversity of responses. Informed by recent debates in anthropology and material culture studies, it is suggested that geographical metaphors (such as distance and displacement) provide a more productive way of engaging with contemporary commodity cultures than do visual metaphors (such as unveiling or unmasking). Other means of transcending the distinction between cultural and economic geographies are also discussed.
Focusing on the concept of 'commodity chains' within the food industry, this paper analyses the t... more Focusing on the concept of 'commodity chains' within the food industry, this paper analyses the term's widespread and variable usage in both academic and policy-orientated work. Despite recent criticisms, the concept has retained its popular appeal alongside competing metaphors such as networks, circuits and assemblages. Examining the concept in more detail demonstrates a range of diverse and inconsistent definitions such that 'commodity chains' are in danger of becoming, in Andrew Sayer's terminology, a chaotic conception. The paper pursues Sayer's suggestion of making such conceptions the object of academic study where the proliferation of diverse uses may throw light on the political interests of those who mobilise the term in different ways. The argument is illustrated with case studies from the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Countryside Agency (a statutory body) and Sustain (a campaigning group). The analysis draws on secondary sources and on interviews with representatives of these agencies. The paper concludes that the different mobilisations of the concept by these agencies provide valuable insights into the politics of food and farming in contemporary Britain. Specifically, we argue that the concept objectifies social relations, fore-grounding certain (technical and economic) features and back-grounding other (social and environmental) issues.
Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography, 1983
... The paper reviews the principles of participant observation identified in the an- thropologic... more ... The paper reviews the principles of participant observation identified in the an- thropological and sociological literature and discusses the ap- proach's ...
Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 1999
... A ttitude Loaded Men's Health XL for Men Maxim Stuff for Men Date launched 1... more ... A ttitude Loaded Men's Health XL for Men Maxim Stuff for Men Date launched 1986 (bi-monthly) 1988 (GQ Active, 1990 ... Title Arena GQ GQ Active FHM Esquire Attitude Loaded Men's Health XL for Men Maxim Stuff for Men January-June 1996 93 513 131074 181581 107 058 ...
This paper addresses the social and cultural significance of convenience food, often regarded as ... more This paper addresses the social and cultural significance of convenience food, often regarded as among the least healthy and most unsustainable of dietary options, subject to frequent moral disapprobation. The paper focuses, in particular, on the relationship between convenience and care, conventionally seen in oppositional terms as a culinary antinomy. Informed by a 'theories of practice' approach, the paper presents empirical evidence from ethnographically-informed research on everyday consumption practices in the UK to demonstrate how convenience foods can be used as an expression of care rather than as its antithesis. The paper uses Fisher and Tronto's theorisation of caring about, taking care of, caregiving and care-receiving to draw out the dynamics of this morally contested social practice.
Foodborne illness is a major public health concern, often approached by focusing on socio-demogra... more Foodborne illness is a major public health concern, often approached by focusing on socio-demographic groups who are considered most ‘vulnerable’ to foodborne disease such as elderly people or pregnant women. Based on a review of existing literature and original research with UK consumers, this paper proposes an alternative approach to analysing vulnerability to foodborne illness. Challenging conventional approaches that focus on the inherent vulnerability of particular socio-demographic groups, the paper emphasises the context-specific and situational nature of vulnerability and the practices and pathways through which people negotiate specific threats which may, in turn, affect their future vulnerabilities. The paper also addresses the gap between lay and expert knowledge that may increase exposure to particular food-related risks. Evidence is provided from research on the food safety and health implications of consumers’ everyday domestic practices including behaviours that do not comply with current ‘best practice’ advice. The evidence supports a turn from notions of inherent vulnerability, based on the membership of certain socio-demographic groups, towards a more nuanced understanding of situational vulnerability, based on the context and logic informing specific social practices.
This chapter is about emerging cultural geographies of food. It is the result of a collaborative ... more This chapter is about emerging cultural geographies of food. It is the result of a collaborative blog-to-paper process that led to an experimental, fragmented, dialogic text. Food is often researched precisely because it can help to vividly animate tensions between the small and intimate realms of embodiment, domesticity, and “ordinary affect” and the more sweeping terrain of global political economy, sustainability, and the vitality of “nature”. Food's cultural geographies, like cultural geography more broadly, can be “best characterized by powerful senses of texture, creativity and public engagement”. The explosion of academic interest in food geographies is a mirror to the explosion of public interest in, and public discourse about, all kinds of food matters.
Skip to Main Content. Wiley Online Library will be disrupted 3 Mar from 10-13 GMT for monthly mai... more Skip to Main Content. Wiley Online Library will be disrupted 3 Mar from 10-13 GMT for monthly maintenance. ...
This paper presents a critical assessment of the concept of transnationalism and its place within... more This paper presents a critical assessment of the concept of transnationalism and its place within the current refiguration of cultural geography. Identifying three specific concerns with current theorizations of transnationalism (regarding the concept's scope, specificity and politics), the paper discusses the widely perceived need to 'ground' the study of transnationalism in specific empirical research. It argues that this discussion has been unhelpfully dominated by an overemphasis on identifying transnational migrant and diasporic communities. The paper highlights the authors' research with a range of food and fashion firms working between Britain and the Indian subcontinent to argue that an analysis of commodity culture provides an alternative way of advancing our understanding of contemporary transnationality. This approach suggests that transnational space can be recognized as both multidimensional and multiply inhabited. The paper concludes by outlining the alternative ways in which attention to commodity culture helps 'ground' the concept of transnationalism.
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 2009
This paper uses the concept of 'moral economy' to challenge the conventional view that defines mo... more This paper uses the concept of 'moral economy' to challenge the conventional view that defines morality and the market as oppositional terms. Drawing on evidence from life history interviews with key actors in the British food industry, the paper outlines how moral and ethical questions are articulated through notions of space and time. Using case study material from the chicken and sugar industries, the paper examines the way that ethical and moral issues are expressed through the dimensions of time (via notions of remembering and forgetting) and space (via notions of connecting and disconnecting) and via notions of visibility and invisibility. The paper concludes by examining how our understanding of the moral economies of food can be advanced through the adoption of a relational view of geographical scale and temporal connection, contrasting the attribution of individual blame with a politics of collective responsibility. key words moral economy food and farming space and time chicken sugar Britain
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 2004
Focusing on the resilience of distinctive local consumption cultures, this paper challenges some ... more Focusing on the resilience of distinctive local consumption cultures, this paper challenges some of the more sweeping claims that have been advanced in the name of 'globalization'. Thinking about a 'globalizing' rather than a fully 'globalized' world encourages us to examine the deeply contested nature of the concept and to explore the geographically uneven nature of recent economic, political and cultural transformations. This paper approaches globalization as a site of struggle rather than as an established fact, emphasizing the need for empirically grounded studies of the impact of 'globalization' on consumer cultures in different geographical contexts. The paper examines the way that producers have 'customized' their products for different markets (drawing on evidence from China and South Africa). It then reviews case study evidence from three contrasting consumption cultures: consumption and 'public culture' in India, 'consumer nationalism' in China, and 'artful consumption' in Russia. The paper concludes by identifying some current debates and outlining some directions for future research, including a re-emphasis on consumption and material culture; an exploration of consumption as social practice; the delineation of commodityspecific consumption cultures; and some reflections on the political, ethical and methodological issues that are being raised in contemporary consumption research.
In the Preface to his latest work, David Harvey describes himself as a 'restless analyst... more In the Preface to his latest work, David Harvey describes himself as a 'restless analyst' of the urban scene. He is more commonly considered as one of the most influential Anglo-American geographers of the post-war period. Indeed, his own intellectual development mirrors the ...
In recent years there have been repeated calls for a convergence between ‘the cultural’ and ‘the ... more In recent years there have been repeated calls for a convergence between ‘the cultural’ and ‘the economic’. This paper provides a specific take on these issues through an exploration of the contested geographies of contemporary commercial culture. Traditionally, ‘culture’ has been associated with meaning and creativity, with works of the imagination and aesthetic practices that are far removed from the pursuit of economic profit. By contrast, ‘commerce’ has conventionally been regarded with disdain by critically minded social scientists, signalling a vulgar and materialistic world, devoid of morality, where human agency is subordinated to the logic of capital. This paper aims to challenge such dualistic thinking by exploring the commodification of cultural difference and by demonstrating that the rational calculus of the market is inescapably embedded in a range of cultural practices. The argument moves from an analysis of linear commodity chains to an exploration of more complex ci...
Building on previous work concerning the gendered nature of domestic space, this paper focuses on... more Building on previous work concerning the gendered nature of domestic space, this paper focuses on the kitchen as a key site in which gendered roles and responsibilities are experienced and contested. As men have begun to engage more frequently in cooking and other domestic practices (albeit selectively and often on their own terms), the paper argues that kitchens have become 'crowded' spaces for women. Drawing on evidence from focus groups, interviews and ethnographic observation of kitchen practices in South Yorkshire (UK), we suggest that men's entry into the kitchen has facilitated the expression of a more diverse range of masculine subjectivities, while also creating new anxieties for women. Specifically, our evidence suggests that family meals may be experienced as a site of domestic conflict as well as a celebration of family life; that convenience and shortcuts can be embraced by women without incurring feelings of guilt and imperfection; that cooking is being embraced as a lifestyle choice by increasing numbers of men who use it as an opportunity to demonstrate competence and skill, while women are more pragmatic; ; and that kitchens may be experienced as 'uncanny' spaces by women as men increasingly assert their presence in this domain. Our analysis confirms that while the relationship between domestic practices and gendered subjectivities is changing, this does not amount to a fundamental 'democratisation' of domesticity with significantly greater equality between men and women.
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 1999
Focusing on the commodification of various forms of cultural difference, this paper reviews recen... more Focusing on the commodification of various forms of cultural difference, this paper reviews recent work within the 'globalization' and 'creolization' paradigms, outlining an agenda for future research. Rather than condemning commodification as an unwarranted threat to the 'authenticity' of local cultures, the paper argues for a more complex understanding of people's relationship with the world of goods. Using a variety of examples, it is argued that the 'traffic in things' is associated with a wide range of meanings and a diversity of responses. Informed by recent debates in anthropology and material culture studies, it is suggested that geographical metaphors (such as distance and displacement) provide a more productive way of engaging with contemporary commodity cultures than do visual metaphors (such as unveiling or unmasking). Other means of transcending the distinction between cultural and economic geographies are also discussed.
Focusing on the concept of 'commodity chains' within the food industry, this paper analyses the t... more Focusing on the concept of 'commodity chains' within the food industry, this paper analyses the term's widespread and variable usage in both academic and policy-orientated work. Despite recent criticisms, the concept has retained its popular appeal alongside competing metaphors such as networks, circuits and assemblages. Examining the concept in more detail demonstrates a range of diverse and inconsistent definitions such that 'commodity chains' are in danger of becoming, in Andrew Sayer's terminology, a chaotic conception. The paper pursues Sayer's suggestion of making such conceptions the object of academic study where the proliferation of diverse uses may throw light on the political interests of those who mobilise the term in different ways. The argument is illustrated with case studies from the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Countryside Agency (a statutory body) and Sustain (a campaigning group). The analysis draws on secondary sources and on interviews with representatives of these agencies. The paper concludes that the different mobilisations of the concept by these agencies provide valuable insights into the politics of food and farming in contemporary Britain. Specifically, we argue that the concept objectifies social relations, fore-grounding certain (technical and economic) features and back-grounding other (social and environmental) issues.
Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography, 1983
... The paper reviews the principles of participant observation identified in the an- thropologic... more ... The paper reviews the principles of participant observation identified in the an- thropological and sociological literature and discusses the ap- proach's ...
Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 1999
... A ttitude Loaded Men's Health XL for Men Maxim Stuff for Men Date launched 1... more ... A ttitude Loaded Men's Health XL for Men Maxim Stuff for Men Date launched 1986 (bi-monthly) 1988 (GQ Active, 1990 ... Title Arena GQ GQ Active FHM Esquire Attitude Loaded Men's Health XL for Men Maxim Stuff for Men January-June 1996 93 513 131074 181581 107 058 ...
This paper addresses the social and cultural significance of convenience food, often regarded as ... more This paper addresses the social and cultural significance of convenience food, often regarded as among the least healthy and most unsustainable of dietary options, subject to frequent moral disapprobation. The paper focuses, in particular, on the relationship between convenience and care, conventionally seen in oppositional terms as a culinary antinomy. Informed by a 'theories of practice' approach, the paper presents empirical evidence from ethnographically-informed research on everyday consumption practices in the UK to demonstrate how convenience foods can be used as an expression of care rather than as its antithesis. The paper uses Fisher and Tronto's theorisation of caring about, taking care of, caregiving and care-receiving to draw out the dynamics of this morally contested social practice.
Foodborne illness is a major public health concern, often approached by focusing on socio-demogra... more Foodborne illness is a major public health concern, often approached by focusing on socio-demographic groups who are considered most ‘vulnerable’ to foodborne disease such as elderly people or pregnant women. Based on a review of existing literature and original research with UK consumers, this paper proposes an alternative approach to analysing vulnerability to foodborne illness. Challenging conventional approaches that focus on the inherent vulnerability of particular socio-demographic groups, the paper emphasises the context-specific and situational nature of vulnerability and the practices and pathways through which people negotiate specific threats which may, in turn, affect their future vulnerabilities. The paper also addresses the gap between lay and expert knowledge that may increase exposure to particular food-related risks. Evidence is provided from research on the food safety and health implications of consumers’ everyday domestic practices including behaviours that do not comply with current ‘best practice’ advice. The evidence supports a turn from notions of inherent vulnerability, based on the membership of certain socio-demographic groups, towards a more nuanced understanding of situational vulnerability, based on the context and logic informing specific social practices.
This chapter is about emerging cultural geographies of food. It is the result of a collaborative ... more This chapter is about emerging cultural geographies of food. It is the result of a collaborative blog-to-paper process that led to an experimental, fragmented, dialogic text. Food is often researched precisely because it can help to vividly animate tensions between the small and intimate realms of embodiment, domesticity, and “ordinary affect” and the more sweeping terrain of global political economy, sustainability, and the vitality of “nature”. Food's cultural geographies, like cultural geography more broadly, can be “best characterized by powerful senses of texture, creativity and public engagement”. The explosion of academic interest in food geographies is a mirror to the explosion of public interest in, and public discourse about, all kinds of food matters.
Skip to Main Content. Wiley Online Library will be disrupted 3 Mar from 10-13 GMT for monthly mai... more Skip to Main Content. Wiley Online Library will be disrupted 3 Mar from 10-13 GMT for monthly maintenance. ...
This paper presents a critical assessment of the concept of transnationalism and its place within... more This paper presents a critical assessment of the concept of transnationalism and its place within the current refiguration of cultural geography. Identifying three specific concerns with current theorizations of transnationalism (regarding the concept's scope, specificity and politics), the paper discusses the widely perceived need to 'ground' the study of transnationalism in specific empirical research. It argues that this discussion has been unhelpfully dominated by an overemphasis on identifying transnational migrant and diasporic communities. The paper highlights the authors' research with a range of food and fashion firms working between Britain and the Indian subcontinent to argue that an analysis of commodity culture provides an alternative way of advancing our understanding of contemporary transnationality. This approach suggests that transnational space can be recognized as both multidimensional and multiply inhabited. The paper concludes by outlining the alternative ways in which attention to commodity culture helps 'ground' the concept of transnationalism.
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inherent vulnerability of particular socio-demographic groups, the paper emphasises the context-specific and situational nature of vulnerability and the practices and pathways through which people negotiate specific
threats which may, in turn, affect their future vulnerabilities. The paper also addresses the gap between lay and expert knowledge that may increase
exposure to particular food-related risks. Evidence is provided from research on the food safety and health implications of consumers’ everyday domestic practices including behaviours that do not comply with current ‘best practice’ advice. The evidence supports a turn from notions of inherent vulnerability, based on the membership of certain socio-demographic groups, towards a more nuanced understanding of situational vulnerability, based on the context and logic informing specific social practices.
inherent vulnerability of particular socio-demographic groups, the paper emphasises the context-specific and situational nature of vulnerability and the practices and pathways through which people negotiate specific
threats which may, in turn, affect their future vulnerabilities. The paper also addresses the gap between lay and expert knowledge that may increase
exposure to particular food-related risks. Evidence is provided from research on the food safety and health implications of consumers’ everyday domestic practices including behaviours that do not comply with current ‘best practice’ advice. The evidence supports a turn from notions of inherent vulnerability, based on the membership of certain socio-demographic groups, towards a more nuanced understanding of situational vulnerability, based on the context and logic informing specific social practices.