Everyday Food Practices: Commercialisation and Consumption in the Periphery of the Global North

Tarunna Sebastian's book Everyday Food Practices explores the teaching and learning dimensions of peoples food choices and practices, showing how supermarket corporations create and sustain class-based diets and cultural dynamics that undermine individual agency. Food education at counter-cultural sites such as farmers markets, food cooperatives, and community gardens seeks to empower people with knowledge and skills, but class and ethnicity-based patterns of engagement compromise learning. Inter-generational, home-based food practices are more effective in teaching sustainable cooking skills and the production of healthy meals.

Format: Hardback
Length: 228 pages
Publication date: 29 June 2021
Publisher: Lexington Books

In his groundbreaking work, "Everyday Food Practices," Tarunna Sebastian delves into the intricate dimensions of human food choices and practices as they unfold in the context of their daily lives and local communities. Through a multi-sited critical ethnographic methodology, Sebastian closely followed individuals as they embarked on their culinary journeys, encompassing planning, shopping, preparation, cooking, and consumption of food. These captivating journeys unveiled a profound revelation: supermarket corporations wield a dominant influence, shaping and perpetuating class-based diets and cultural dynamics that undermine individual agency. Challenging this corporate hegemony, food education at counter-cultural sites, such as farmers markets, food cooperatives, and community gardens, emerges as a powerful tool for empowering individuals with knowledge and skills derived from socially and environmentally sustainable food curricula. However, the prevalence of class and ethnicity-based patterns of engagement at these sites poses challenges to effective learning.

In contrast, Sebastian argues that the embodied experiences of inter-generational, home-based food practices hold greater potential in imparting sustainable cooking skills and the creation of nutritious meals. These practices, rooted in cultural heritage and passed down through generations, provide a deep understanding of traditional ingredients, cooking techniques, and the significance of food in nurturing both body and soul. By immersing individuals in the sensory and practical aspects of food preparation, inter-generational food practices offer a holistic and authentic learning experience that transcends the boundaries of classroom instruction.

Through his meticulous research and insightful analysis, Tarunna Sebastian sheds light on the complex interplay between food choices, practices, and social structures. "Everyday Food Practices" serves as a call to action, urging individuals and communities to reclaim the power over their food systems and embrace sustainable, culturally-rich, and nourishing practices. By valuing the wisdom of inter-generational food practices and promoting their integration into mainstream education, we can create a more equitable and sustainable food future for all.

Weight: 544g
Dimension: 227 x 161 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793630360