Sugar consumption, a tale of seduction

This post is based on a presentation I gave at the end of my first term on the MA Anthropology of Food course. In groups of two or three we had to pick a foodstuff and talk about aspects of its history or ‘journey’ that interested us. I chose sugar because I was keen to read more of Sidney Mintz’s monograph, Sweetness and Power, which we had looked at earlier that term in relation to the industrialisation of agriculture. My part of the presentation focused on consumption.

Today we think of sugar as a basic foodstuff, but it has not always been that way. Sugar was first recorded in England in AD735, but more frequent mentions of its use do not appear until the 12^th century, when it was used exclusively by royalty. Sugar did not begin to filter down the social spectrum until the 17^th century, when tea and coffee were introduced to the UK, and it did not become widely used by the lower classes until the industrial revolution. 

Use and function

Click to read more ...

The Industrialisation of Agriculture

Our class on the industrialisation of agriculture started with a simple game of word association. Professor Harry West asked us to think of terms that we associated with this idea. These were the results:

When we had completed the task, Harry made an interesting point. He highlighted that any term that evokes this many associations is complex by nature. For this reason we can’t rely on the term to say any one thing, because it says something about all of these things.

It is also clear that it means different things to different people.  As budding anthropologists we placed emphasis on the socio-cultural dimensions of agricultural industrialisation, as well as considering the environmental implications. The results would probably look quite different if we were a class of economics students at the LSE.

Click to read more ...

Hunter gathering and agriculture

Since I was brought up in Australia’s Western consumer culture, I have unconsciously accepted a society fuelled by food production as a normal way of life. For me, the term ‘hunter gatherer’ conjures images of ‘bush tucker’, nuts and berries, survival of the fittest. My perception is not inherently negative, rather a romanticised vision of a lifestyle that is foreign to me and, for the most part, outmoded.

The three readings I discuss here forced me to question these preconceived notions. Each highlighted how cultures based around food production are seen as the norm, while other modes of subsistence, such as hunter gathering, are seen as backwards, inferior or socially unacceptable. None of the authors agree with this view, but instead shed light on how and why these perceptions have been socially constructed.

Click to read more ...

What is food anthropology?

When I tell people I am studying the anthropology of food, I am usually met with a blank expression. Some people are game to ask what that means, a question I find difficult to answer even now, a year and a half into my course.

I generally start by saying “Well anthropology, very generally, is the study of human culture and society. Food anthropology is about that, but the focus is always food related.” This, it turns out, is not very helpful. Expressions have changed from blank to baffled. 

The main thing I find difficult to convey is the breadth of the topics covered. People often assume that the subject is largely historical and that it namely deals with the exotic. I'm not sure where the first idea comes from, but the second is hardly surprising. Anthropology is a discipline with its roots in Western colonialism, and for much of its development the focus was on ‘other’ cultures. 

Click to read more ...