Food Anthropology and Its Research Methods Research Paper

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Ethnography Research

The Question about Ethnography is, did the question to be studied come first, or was it the destination of the field. Ethnography research can be triggered and started through an interesting topic to research or being in a place where you are interested in building a better understanding through fieldwork of ethnographic research. Recently what mattered in anthropology that the place should be dramatically different from your place that was the only thing that mattered about choosing fieldwork. Geertz suggests that the question of where has become a “much more important question, actually, than what we would do” (Wolcott 24). The more mobile anthropology these days gave research ethnographies room to expand ethnographies and fieldwork can be a tad less remote it can be anything from self-ethnographies to cultures. Besides, ethnography research provides with the opportunity of seeing things in a new way.

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An ethnographic approach is defined as a “holistic description of cultural membership” (Singer 191). It means that investigating the “why” and the “what” of a concept, not only involve researchers in the intensive fieldwork but try to stay open to distinct perspectives on the world. Ethnographers may use a great variety of instruments including interviews, observations, document analysis, and so on. Most of these tools are qualitative and, for this reason, researchers should pay great attention to maintain the scientific rigor of their work. As Singer states, there is a risk that ethnographic research may turn into journalism that is inherently descriptive (192). To avoid this, ethnographers should strive to inquire into meaning more deeply rather than provide a thick description of contexts.

Identifying a Topic

Space, Food and Culture

As I am strolling down the streets of Bangkok I realized that the idea of street food is widely spread. I saw food booths were all over the city something which I thought so negatively off and saw is now looking like it’s the beating heart of the city. I then started wondering what brought me to associate negative thoughts with street food. It appeared to me that it is my interpretation of the street as space. When I think of the street as a space images of cars, gasoline, and traffic along with noise and shattered images of angry drivers or speed drivers. To have the word food associated with all these mental images is what brought me to have such strong negative feelings about street food. When I think of street food I think of smelly, poisonous, shoddy quality food not fit for human use. Yet to watch it spread so widely among the city made me question my judgment.

Giampiccoli and Hayward Kalis observe that “customary and contemporary food practices are densely embedded within wider patterns of daily life, environmental relations, and cultural identity” (103). Food, as a cultural attribute and social practice, can contribute to the development of local communities, for instance, by attracting tourism. It may be one of the reasons why Thai street food is so popular even though it may be associated with significant safety concerns − by purchasing street food, people get acquainted with the local culture. Thus, one may say with certainty that relationships between food production, culture, and space are highly symbiotic.

The making, eating process culture of street food (The topic)

It goes without saying that to keep living we need food, and since everyone wants food daily food can be the easiest way to study any culture. I hereby would like to create a better understanding of how street food is made, what are the ingredients that are used, how long does it take to prepare it, how much it costs relative to other types of food, and what are the demographics of customers that are buying the food.

Literature review

Before entering the field I need to familiarize myself with few pointers to make the process much easier, and no place better to that is than the books. Therefore, I surrounded myself for a few days with books and read what others had to say about the work of ethnography. Consequently, I learned how a hypothesis and question are constructed, also what measures precautions must be taken, and being aware of them before hitting the field. I tackled a lot of topics and summarized ideas about them that would guide me through the rest of my research.

Fieldwork

“The tradition of fieldwork, and a conceptual repertoire derived from deep immersion in local ways of life, has been the source of anthropology’s strength” (Keesing and Strathern 7). The fieldwork can be the reason for the failure or, otherwise, the success of the research. Thus, rushing into it is not the best way to approach it. After reading relatable notes and books I was in better shape of understating my limitation. Moreover, during my readings, I was exposed to several methods of research and I recognized the best methodology for me to use. Also, I was able to understand the differences between qualitative and quantitative research and mix research and how to approach each method. Besides, I found a safety guide for fieldwork that talks about where to go and when to go, what places to stay in, and what ethical permissions I needed before starting the research. The books made me aware of the fact that I should focus on my good manners as I am dealing with people during the fieldwork and bad manners won’t get me the answers I am looking for. And it might be that even with good behavior that some people are just not comfortable being and subject of research.

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Food Anthropology

As stated by Brulotte and Di Giovine, “along with sex and death,…the production, elaboration, and consumption of food” comprise a set of processes which are common to all people and communities around the globe (1). Throughout time, these food processes have constituted the core of many social practices and triggered political-economic as well as symbolic value creation (Minz and Du Bois 100). In this way, food has become an intrinsic part of the social-cultural heritage and, consequently, a study object in anthropology.

When speaking of street food, it can be considered one of the major driving forces in urban food culture. At the same time, as a separate cultural branch, it is endowed with some drastic distinctive features. Street food is not merely one of the multiple infrastructures which can be defined by the politics of location but, to a large extent, it is defined by the politics of processing. Solomon states that it is a specific way of processing that imparts value to food and turns it into street food (66). Both street and food have particular sensory-spatial and semiotic qualities and, when combined, go beyond the parameters of location. The given feature of street food defines its cultural significance and draws research interest.

Food is closely interrelated with the life of social entities − villages and cities − within which it is produced, prepared, and consumed. It also can mark both individual and collective identities. Thus, food affects individuals’ psychology and emotions and, for the same reason, shapes the memory of people. The identified features only partly touch upon the significance of food in culture. It may be studied in multiple contexts: political, social, economic, ideological, and others. What is most important about food is its ability to reproduce values and connect people not merely through space but time as well.

Works Cited

Brulotte, Ronda L., and Michael A. Di Giovine. Edible Identities: Food as Cultural Heritage. Taylor and Francis, 2014.

Giampiccoli, Andrea and Janet Hayward Kalis. “Tourism, Food, and Culture: Community-Based Tourism, Local Food, and Community Development in Mpondoland.” Culture, Agriculture, Food & Environment, vol. 34, no. 2, 2012, pp. 101-123. Web.

Keesing, Roger, and Andrew Strathern. Cultural Anthropology: A Contemporary Perspective. Harcourt Brace, 1998.

Mintz, Sidney W, and Christine M. Du Bois. “The Anthropology of Food and Eating.” Annual Review of Anthropology, vol. 31, no. 1, 2002.

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Scheyvens, Regina. Development Fieldwork. SAGE Publications, 2014.

Singer, Jane B. “Ethnography.” Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, vol. 86, no. 1, 2009, pp. 191-198.

Solomon, Harris. “‘The Taste No Chef Can Give’: Processing Street Food in Mumbai.” Cultural Anthropology, vol. 30, no. 1, 2015.

Wolcott, Harry F. Ethnography. Altamira Press , 1999.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "Food Anthropology and Its Research Methods." February 16, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/food-anthropology-and-its-research-methods/.

1. IvyPanda. "Food Anthropology and Its Research Methods." February 16, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/food-anthropology-and-its-research-methods/.


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