Gastronationalism

Abstract

By developing the concept of “gastronationalism,” this article challenges conceptions of the homogenizing forces of globalism. I analyze (1) the ways in which food production, distribution, and consumption can demarcate and sustain the emotive power of national attachment and (2) how nationalist sentiments, in turn, can shape the production and marketing of food. The multi-methodological analyses reveal how the construct of gastronationalism can help us better understand pan-national tensions in symbolic boundary politics—politics that protect certain foods and industries as representative of national cultural traditions. I first analyze the macro-level dimensions of market protections by examining the European Union’s program for origin-designation labels that delineates particular foods as nationally owned. The micro-level, empirical case—the politics surrounding foie gras in France—demonstrates how gastronationalism functions as a protectionist mechanism within lived experience. Foie gras is an especially relevant case because other parties within the pan-national system consider it morally objectionable. Contemporary food politics, beyond the insights it affords into symbolic boundary politics, speaks to several arenas of sociological interest, including markets, identity politics, authenticity and culture, and the complexities of globalization.

Patrimoni di origine protetta. Le procedure di Food Labelling nelle istituzioni internazionali all’incrocio tra nazionale, globale e locale

“…L'impatto del mercato globale del cibo ha inoltre suscitato forti rivendicazioni della peculiarità delle identità culinarie, declinate principalmente in termini nazionali. Per analizzare questa giustapposizione tra cibo e globalizzazione, Michaela DeSoucey ha sviluppato il concetto di «gastronationalism» [ DeSoucey 2010]. Esso «signals the use of food production, distribution, and consumption to demarcate and sustain the emotive power of national attachment, as well as the use of nationalist sentiments, to produce and market food» [433].…”

“…Le istituzioni statali filtrano le proposte locali, venendo così a essere gli unici soggetti che interagiscono direttamente con le istituzioni internazionali. In questo quadro, le identità culinarie locali e regionali tendono a essere presentate e percepite come rappresentative delle nazioni [DeSoucey 2010]. Infine, anche gli effetti economicisul piano commerciale e sull'industria del cibo, così come sull'industria culturale, come nel caso del turismo -vanno senz'altro misurati in dimensione nazionale.…”

Augmenting Foodservice Experiences through Cultural Eatertainment at Tourist Destinations

“…Eatertainment surrounds the food and elevates food consumption to a multifaceted experience. However, tourist consumption of food is also a consumption of culture; that is, food is culture (Appadurai, 1981;Beer, 2008;DeSoucey, 2010;Groves, 2001;Hall & Sharples, 2003;Jackson, 2002;Lu & Fine, 1995;Molz, 2007;Robinson & Clifford, 2007;Sims, 2009). As has been pointed out by a number of authors, food is much more than its chemical components: it signifies lifestyle, celebration, ritual, nutrition, personal, ethnic, regional, and national identities (Jackson, 2002;Lind & Barham, 2004;Molz, 2007;Mura & Lovelock, 2009;Sims, 2009).…”

Alimentation et réseau social : une étude sur « le goût par nécessité » en contexte social

“…For Bourdieu, it is not only the item consumed that is significant, but also that the symbolic power of taste preferences reinforces the space of social positions in ways that vary by gender and social class, among other dimensions. While Bourdieu focused on the expansiveness of the entire French diet, Michaela DeSoucey (2010) investigated how the production and consumption of a single food item, foie gras, can serve as a nexus of national pride, culinary practice, and moral approbation, helping to maintain national boundaries. Another fine example of recent thinking on consumption practices is the research of Josee Johnston and Shyon Baumann (2010), who reveal with a study of “foodies” that omnivorous consumption serves as the defining legitimate form of consumption in modern times.…”