Food, home and health

The meanings of food amongst Bengali Women in London

Bibliographic Data

ID4716517
AuthorsHannah Maria Jennings (0000-0002-8580-0327, University of London), Janice L Thompson (0000-0002-7312-3226, University of Birmingham), James Merrell (0000-0003-1205-2628, Swansea University), Joy Merrell, B Bogin (0000-0002-1688-0087, Loughborough University), Michael Heinrich (0000-0003-2611-6303, University of London, corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume10
Issue1
Pages44
Publication date2014-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1746-4269 • E-ISSN: 1746-4269
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1186/1746-4269-10-44
PMID24886061
PMCIDPMC4035805
OpenAlexW2104824527
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited36

BACKGROUND: This paper explores the nature of food and plants and their meanings in a British Bengali urban context. It focuses on the nature of plants and food in terms of their role in home making, transnational connections, generational change and concepts of health. METHODS: An ethnographic approach to the research was taken, specific methods included participant observation, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. Thirty women of Bengali origin were mostly composed of "mother" and "daughter" pairs. The mothers were over 45 years old and had migrated from Bangladesh as adults and their grown-up daughters grew up in the UK. RESULTS: Food and plants play an important role in the construction of home "here" (London) while continuing to connect people to home "there" (Sylhet). This role, however, changes and is re-defined across generations. Looking at perceptions of "healthy" and "unhealthy" food, particularly in the context of Bengali food, multiple views of what constitutes "healthy" food exist. However, there appeared to be little two-way dialogue about this concept between the research participants and health professionals. This seems to be based on "cultural" and power differences that need to be addressed for a meaningful dialogue to occur. CONCLUSION: In summary, this paper argues that while food is critical to the familial spaces of home (both locally and globally), it is defined by a complex interplay of actors and wider meanings as illustrated by concepts of health and what constitutes Bengali food. Therefore, we call for greater dialogue between health professionals and those they interact with, to allow for an enhanced appreciation of the dynamic nature of food and plants and the diverse perceptions of the role that they play in promoting health

Bengali · Context (archaeology · Ethnography · Focus group · Geography · Participant observation · Perception · Social science · Sociology · Anthropology · Culinary Culture and Tourism · Gender Studies · Organic Food and Agriculture · Psychology · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability