The BSA Food Study Group invites submissions to its session at the BSA 60th Anniversary Conference.
Submissions to the Open: Food stream can be on any topic that you are interested in within the broad area of ‘food’. However, we would particularly like to attract submissions which address the following themes: The British Sociological Association
"Food cultures": reflexive meanings and meaningful reflection. "Food culture(s)" is a term used by academics, practitioners and policy makers in social, food and health sectors to denote a variety of ways of thinking and speaking about food practices, tastes, knowledges and aspirations. Its 'umbrella' nature encompasses both description and explanation of meanings (whether attributed, unconscious or reflexive) and behaviours, and can be taken further to include food production and governance, and their influences. This themed session will enable exploration of contemporary usages and understandings both from within academia and contemporary policy making in the UK and elsewhere.
Climate change and the food system: The relationship between food production and climate change is increasingly coming under the spotlight. Modern food production techniques are making major contributions to CO2 emissions. A debate is beginning to emerge about the future of agriculture and food production. Authors such as Lang and Heasman (2004) see the future going in two separate directions, an ecological direction or a high tech direction (personalised foods, GM etc). What role does sociology and social science more generally have for making sense of all this? This themed session will explore some of the issues that sociologists are, or should be, engaging in.
“Children’s food”: A wealth of recent sociological research has explored children’s food practices within families and institutions, such as schools. But neither families nor institutions exist in isolation from each other or from wider socio-cultural contexts. How do public and private discourses intersect in relation to “children’s food”? Are children consistent in their eating practices across contexts? How and when does peer influence operate? In which ways are children’s food practices and preferences shaped by, and how do they shape, cultures around food and meals in different environments? How best might researchers capture these practices and negotiations? This themed session sets out to explore theoretical, methodological and substantive topics which illuminate these issues.
All submitted abstracts will be reviewed equally after the abstract deadline of 15th October 2010 and all successful submissions will require presentation by a registered delegate. Please submit your abstract under the preferred stream of Open: Food on the online submission system. Priority will be given to abstracts which make theoretical or empirical contributions to the sociology of food.
Further details about the 2011 BSA Annual Conference are available online http://www.britsoc.co.uk/events/Conference.htm
All enquiries about the Food Study Group call for papers should be addressed to Wendy Wills ([log in to unmask] ; 01707 286165).
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