Memories of hunger, continuities, and food choices: An ethnography of the elderly in extremadura (Spain)

• Published in: Appetite 2021-09, Vol.164, p.105267-105267, Article 105267
• Main Authors: Conde-Caballero, David, Rivero-Jimenez, Borja, Mariano-Juarez, Lorenzo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Elderly; Ethnography; Food choices; Hunger; Memory
• ISSN: 0195-6663; 1095-8304
• DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105267

Food choices are a complex subject of study. This study reviews existing literature on the topic, while also offering new perspectives. It introduces empirical materials that suggest the existence of continuities between childhood memories of food insecurity and current nutritional choices and practices among older adults. This is a qualitative study, based on grounded theory, which explores memories of hunger in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War through ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 12 rural localities in Extremadura (Spain) – analysing current food practices and ideologies among surviving post-war children and tracing continuities between the past and the present. It provides results in the field of food continuities and shows how experiences and memories of hunger have an impact on food choices many decades later Data analysis and interpretation revealed three main categories: food memories of the so-called “years of hunger”; present-day food practices; and continuities between past and present. The inductive-deductive analysis revealed enduring memories that shaped present-day attitudes towards food – i.e. maximisation of ingredients and “zero-waste” practices; conspicuous consumption at particular times of the year; the central role of bread; and even certain food taboos. More than seventy years later, memories of deprivation and hunger are still pervasive and permeate present-day dietary practices and choices.