'Vagabondic' and 'touristic' paths to saving money on household food budgets: findings from a mixed method study in Denmark

TY - ABST

T1 - 'Vagabondic' and 'touristic' paths to saving money on household food budgets

T2 - Social policy Association: Annual Conference

AU - Nielsen, Annemette Ljungdalh

AU - Holm, Lotte

AU - Lund, Thomas Bøker

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - The purpose of this study was to investigate how different types of households react to experiences of food budget restraint in Denmark. The study applied a mixed method design. The qualitative data source consisted of interviews with 30 individuals from Danish households with different socioeconomic characteristics, who experienced food budget constraint. The quantitative data consists of a survey among 1650 members of a household consumer panel. Using both data sources the study explored how shopping, storing, cooking and eating practices changed as a consequence of experienced restraints on the food budget. The quantitative results revealed how differences in terms of application of various types of strategies are related to different levels of food budget restrictions. Strategies applied to storing and cooking food in more efficient manners were widely practiced across all groups. Strategies which affected eating experiences, first seemed to appear when food budget restriction increased. These differences were also reflected in data on mental health and life quality among groups experiencing various degrees of economic restraint. The qualitative study revealed important factors that link strategies to either positive or negative experiences. Interviewees who made a positive experiences out of cooking with more filling ingredients, reducing eating out, and using left overs, expressed some kind of extra resources in comparison to the interviewees with negative experiences in the shape of e.g. more secure life circumstances, cooking skills, and a supporting social network. We proposed to apply Zygmunt Bauman's metaphors of the tourist and the vagabond to improve our understanding of different experiences of restrained food budgets, while discussion the use and relevance of applying Bauman's concepts in Scandinavian welfare state contexts.

AB - The purpose of this study was to investigate how different types of households react to experiences of food budget restraint in Denmark. The study applied a mixed method design. The qualitative data source consisted of interviews with 30 individuals from Danish households with different socioeconomic characteristics, who experienced food budget constraint. The quantitative data consists of a survey among 1650 members of a household consumer panel. Using both data sources the study explored how shopping, storing, cooking and eating practices changed as a consequence of experienced restraints on the food budget. The quantitative results revealed how differences in terms of application of various types of strategies are related to different levels of food budget restrictions. Strategies applied to storing and cooking food in more efficient manners were widely practiced across all groups. Strategies which affected eating experiences, first seemed to appear when food budget restriction increased. These differences were also reflected in data on mental health and life quality among groups experiencing various degrees of economic restraint. The qualitative study revealed important factors that link strategies to either positive or negative experiences. Interviewees who made a positive experiences out of cooking with more filling ingredients, reducing eating out, and using left overs, expressed some kind of extra resources in comparison to the interviewees with negative experiences in the shape of e.g. more secure life circumstances, cooking skills, and a supporting social network. We proposed to apply Zygmunt Bauman's metaphors of the tourist and the vagabond to improve our understanding of different experiences of restrained food budgets, while discussion the use and relevance of applying Bauman's concepts in Scandinavian welfare state contexts.

UR - http://www.social-policy.org.uk/news/2016-conference/

M3 - Conference abstract for conference

Y2 - 4 July 2016 through 6 July 2016

ER -