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Food Thinkers: Lauren Blake
- 1. Breaking down the personal and professional: an exploration of British food activism through oral history Lauren Blake University of Sheffield/The British Library/LCIRAH City University London Food Research Collaboration Food Thinkers Seminar 1st June 2016
- 2. Oral History collection at the British Library § The British Library has a vast and rich collection of national life stories and oral histories held in its sound archives, and food is being increasingly explored as a focus § The current collections that hold material relating directly or indirectly to food include: § Food: from source to salespoint; An oral history of the wine trade; Tesco: an oral history; Pioneers in charity and social welfare; Millennium memory bank; Leaders in national life; Animal welfare activists § Food, in particular the more political side (British food activism), was identified as a gap within oral history and the collections at the BL § The oral histories collected are therefore being deposited as a new oral history collection if the British Library’s sound archive 2
- 3. Oral History and Life Stories § Emerged as a discipline during C20th § Seen as ‘giving voice’ to the marginalised § Fought for respect against orthodox historical research methods considered objective, scientific and delivering the ‘truth’ § Oral history acknowledges multiple truths that are subjective and seeks to explore how the past is understood and its relationship with the present § “the present itself is historical” (Bertaux 1983) § “memory is living history, the remembered past that exists in the present” (Frisch 1990) § Takes a ‘whole life’ approach § Crosses disciplinary boundaries such as history, human geography, psychology, sociology, anthropology and linguistics § Oral history life story interviews are on average between 4 and 20 hours long Perks & Thomson 2006, Thompson 2000 3
- 4. British Food Activism § Food activism in Britain has deep roots and has intensified post-war § Growth and professionalisation of recent British (food) activism § Issues addressed by civil society movements seeking to change parts of the food system: § Agriculture (e.g. organic, smallholder, agroecology, GMOs), animal welfare, local and seasonal food provision systems, trade, vegetarianism/veganism, nutrition/public health, food safety, food security/ famine, food waste § How ‘alternative’ these are is contested (see work by Whatmore 2003, Kirwan 2004, Kneafsey 2008, Belasco 2007) § Working definition of activism – “create change beyond oneself” 4
- 5. 5 PhD Research § Collaboration of the British Library and Sheffield University § Record 15-20 oral history interviews for a new collection on Food Activism to be held at the BL to be the basis of my PhD research and thesis § Collected 17 oral history interviews (ranging from 4-16 hours in total length) § Elements of ethnography (attending activists’ events and activities, opportunities to spend time with them outside of the interview setting) § Interviewees from a range of organisations and movements, covering environmental, health, social and economic issues § Also used other material at the BL, including other relevant oral history interviews from other collections as secondary data
- 7. Research topics of interest • Food and Identity in the context of food activism • Identities: social class, gender, health, consumer, parent, etc. (‘activist’ the right label?) • particularities of food compared to other types of activists • how activists define themselves in relation to food, how food features in their lives • food activists’ commonalities and differences • What oral history contributes to understanding food activism: • nuances and practicalities of the method • advantages, disadvantages and limits • food as a vehicle for exploration in oral history • memory and narrative of food activists • How can British food activism be defined • national identity, historical context, food activists’ commonalities 7
- 8. Themes • Childhood and early adult life influences • Social class • Personal diet, food habits, relationship with food, family • Crossover of food issues (personally & professionally) • Image/appearance as activist • Optimism • Sense of duty • Ethnic diversity 8
- 10. 10 Social Class
- 14. 14 Disconnected?
- 15. INPUTS Agrichemicals, pharmaceuticals, equipment, seeds PRIMARY PRODUCTION Farming, fishing, horticulture, plantations PROCESSING & MANUFACTURE Craft / large factories DISTRIBUTION & LOGISTICS National / international, import/export RETAIL markets, shops, supermarkets FOODSERVICE catering, cafés, restaurants, public sector DOMESTIC FOOD PREPARATION International Organizations à Policy guidelines, advice, etc Regional bodies à Regulations, law, subsidies, etc National governments àLaws, regulations, subsidies, etc Socio-cultural influences, eg religion, gender, family Consciousness industries, eg advertising, media Public health, hygiene controls, risk management Energy inputs Fuels Civil society organisations Finance capital Training & education Research, development, engineering & technology Fig 2.2 The food system, its inputs, outputs and influences source T Lang M Heasman (2015) Food Wars. Abingdon: Routledge 2nd edition Local governments àLaws, regulations, subsidies, etc Social impact Waste & biological outflow Energy & material outflow and emissions Economic drivers eg price, profits, trade Public health & nutrition outcomes Cultural impact Environmental ‘givens’ eg climate, water, land, biodiversity CONSUMPTION Labour Skills, livelihoods 2ndeditionofTLang&MHeasman(2015)FoodWars:theglobalbattleformouths,mindsandmarkets,Abindgon:Routledge.
- 16. 16 “If you wanna do a professional job then dress professionally… make sure that you sound and come across in a way that is going to have the greatest influence… it’s simply about how you present yourself” Philip Lymbery, Compassion in World Farming
- 17. The Method 17