Overview

Everyday foodways are a powerful means of drawing boundaries between social groups and defining who we are and where we belong. This book draws upon auto/biographical food narratives and emphasises the power of everyday foodways in maintaining and reinforcing social divisions along the lines of gender and class.

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9781349561629

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Julie M. Parsons' Gender, Class and Food is a welcome addition to this literature. ... this book demonstrates how foodways are shaped by gender and class. Written in an accessible style and incorporating a broad range of literature without falling into the trap of sociological jargon, it is appropriate for graduate and undergraduate courses in food studies and sociology. (Norah MacKendrick, Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, April, 2017) Concerned with examining food `memories' and the socio-cultural contexts in which these are formed, this British sociologist employs a qualitative method not often seen in food studies: computer-mediated communication. ... Parsons solicits and analyzes 75 auto/biographical food narratives from individuals residing in the United Kingdom. ... an important and timely read, a noteworthy contribution to the research trajectory set by DeVault (1991). (Michael Chrobok, Antipode, May, 2016)

'This is a remarkable, rich book, a solid use of grounded theory, a unique contribution to studies in gender, health and food studies [ ] A testimony to what food studies can teach us.' -Barbara Katz Rothman, City University of New York, US 'I am in awe of the skill with which Parsons manages to draw together her research data within theoretical frameworks relating to both gender and class [ ] beautifully using [it] to make a significant and engaging contribution to debates about neo-liberal foodways.' -Wendy Wills, University of Hertfordshire, UK 'Communal eating, through the cooking and sharing of food together, rather than merely eating to survive, is probably one the most evocative and emotionally significant human activities, and Parsons' book develops a much needed and sophisticated sociological analysis of this everyday practice.' -Gillian Bendelow, University of Brighton, UK 'In Gender, Class and Food Julie Parsons expertly explores, dissects and reveals the cultural codes and values surrounding food, social class and gender. She deftly illustrates and explains how the constructions of hegemonic gender roles play out through societal practices of food creation and consumption. She shows how different foodways intersect with gender and class through an auto/biographical approach which is both intimate yet revealing of wider doxic codes and gender orders regarding food. Through an exploration of different relationships people have with food, from start from scratch healthy meals for healthy families, the use of food as alternative medicine to the elitism of (mostly) masculine epicurean journeys of exploration and conquest she shows how access to resources shape peoples patterns of food consumption. In doing so she reveals the deeply gendered codes, resources and practices of our daily food habits.' -Jen Marchbank, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Author Information

Julie M. Parsons is a sociology lecturer, Associate Head of School (Teaching and Learning) and Deputy Director of the Centre for Methodological Innovations (CMI) at Plymouth University, UK. She has published in the areas of auto/biography, maternal identities, gender and contemporary food cultures, and food as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

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