Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Appalachian Foodways: Engaging Ethnography in Nutrition Education
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The century-old portrayal of Appalachians as unhealthy has often revolved around food. Attempts to change food habits in Appalachia have typically been framed within rhetorics of unhealthy diets, leading to a discourse in which Appalachians are stigmatized on the basis of what they do, and don’t, eat. More recent scholarship has attempted to alleviate stigmatization by highlighting the structural inequalities related to food access that impact health in Appalachia. However, the symbolic meaning that is attached to “unhealthy” foods is often absent from the conversation, particularly within the realm of nutrition education.
This paper explores the potential of an ethnographically-based methodology in increasing the effectiveness and cultural sensitivity of nutrition education programs in Appalachia by bringing together folklore research and theory with rhetorical analysis. Using David E. Whisnant’s (All That is Native & Fine: The Politics of Culture in an American Region 1983) analysis of early 20th century settlement school workers’ attempts to provide nutrition education as a context, I will explore more current trends in nutrition education in Appalachia.
Drawing on scholarship from folklorists such as Michael Owen Jones (“Food Choice, Symbolism, and Identity: Bread-and-Butter Issues for Folkloristics and Nutrition Studies” 2005), I argue that folklore research on the symbolic meanings of foodways should be applied to programs and projects concerned with nutrition education and dietary change. Pulling from my own fieldwork in Appalachia, I will highlight symbolic discourse regarding identity, values, and attitudes related to food that are important for nutritionists and dieticians working in Appalachia to consider.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Nicole Musgrave is currently working towards her master’s degree in Folk Studies at Western Kentucky University. Nicole is interested in using disciplinary methodologies to address social and cultural issues at the community level, specifically considering how people creatively respond to lack of access to food products. Additionally, Nicole is interested in the intersection of foodways and healthcare, and how vernacular conceptions of health relate to foodways practices.
Conference Subthemes
Health
Appalachian Foodways: Engaging Ethnography in Nutrition Education
The century-old portrayal of Appalachians as unhealthy has often revolved around food. Attempts to change food habits in Appalachia have typically been framed within rhetorics of unhealthy diets, leading to a discourse in which Appalachians are stigmatized on the basis of what they do, and don’t, eat. More recent scholarship has attempted to alleviate stigmatization by highlighting the structural inequalities related to food access that impact health in Appalachia. However, the symbolic meaning that is attached to “unhealthy” foods is often absent from the conversation, particularly within the realm of nutrition education.
This paper explores the potential of an ethnographically-based methodology in increasing the effectiveness and cultural sensitivity of nutrition education programs in Appalachia by bringing together folklore research and theory with rhetorical analysis. Using David E. Whisnant’s (All That is Native & Fine: The Politics of Culture in an American Region 1983) analysis of early 20th century settlement school workers’ attempts to provide nutrition education as a context, I will explore more current trends in nutrition education in Appalachia.
Drawing on scholarship from folklorists such as Michael Owen Jones (“Food Choice, Symbolism, and Identity: Bread-and-Butter Issues for Folkloristics and Nutrition Studies” 2005), I argue that folklore research on the symbolic meanings of foodways should be applied to programs and projects concerned with nutrition education and dietary change. Pulling from my own fieldwork in Appalachia, I will highlight symbolic discourse regarding identity, values, and attitudes related to food that are important for nutritionists and dieticians working in Appalachia to consider.
