Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks: reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England

Paul Bissell; Marian Peacock; Michelle Holdsworth; Katie Powell; John Wilcox; Angie Clonan

doi:10.1111/1467-9566.12746

Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks: reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England

Paul Bissell, Marian Peacock, Michelle Holdsworth, Katie Powell, John Wilcox, Angie Clonan

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Abstract

This study explores the ways in which social networks might shape accounts about food practices. Drawing on insights from the work of Christakis and Fowler (2007) whose claims about the linkages between obesity and social networks have been the subject of vigorous debate in the sociological literature, we present qualitative data from a study of women's’ accounts of social networks and food practices, conducted in Nottingham, England. We tentatively suggest that whilst social networks, in their broadest sense, might shape what was perceived to be normal and acceptable in relation to food practices (and provide everyday discursive resources which normalise practice), the relationship between the two is more complex than the linear relationship proposed by Christakis and Fowler. Here, we introduce the idea of assumed shared food narratives (ASFNs), which, we propose, sheds light on motive talk about food practices, and which also provide practical and discursive resources to actors seeking to protect and defend against ‘untoward’ behaviour, in the context of public health messages around food and eating. We suggest that understanding ASFNs and the ways in which they are embedded in social networks represents a novel way of understanding food and eating practices from a sociological perspective.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1142-1155
Number of pages	14
Journal	Sociology of Health and Illness
Volume	40
Issue number	7
Early online date	19 Jun 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12746
Publication status	Published - Sep 2018

Fingerprint

Social Support

England

social network

food

narrative

Food

eating behavior

Eating

resources

Public Health

Obesity

public health

Cite this

Bissell, P., Peacock, M., Holdsworth, M., Powell, K., Wilcox, J., & Clonan, A. (2018). Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks: reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England. Sociology of Health and Illness, 40(7), 1142-1155. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12746

Bissell, Paul ; Peacock, Marian ; Holdsworth, Michelle ; Powell, Katie ; Wilcox, John ; Clonan, Angie. / Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks : reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England. In: Sociology of Health and Illness. 2018 ; Vol. 40, No. 7. pp. 1142-1155.

@article{f118afe623ce4003a4f0f458ec765e77,

title = "Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks: reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England",

abstract = "This study explores the ways in which social networks might shape accounts about food practices. Drawing on insights from the work of Christakis and Fowler (2007) whose claims about the linkages between obesity and social networks have been the subject of vigorous debate in the sociological literature, we present qualitative data from a study of women's’ accounts of social networks and food practices, conducted in Nottingham, England. We tentatively suggest that whilst social networks, in their broadest sense, might shape what was perceived to be normal and acceptable in relation to food practices (and provide everyday discursive resources which normalise practice), the relationship between the two is more complex than the linear relationship proposed by Christakis and Fowler. Here, we introduce the idea of assumed shared food narratives (ASFNs), which, we propose, sheds light on motive talk about food practices, and which also provide practical and discursive resources to actors seeking to protect and defend against ‘untoward’ behaviour, in the context of public health messages around food and eating. We suggest that understanding ASFNs and the ways in which they are embedded in social networks represents a novel way of understanding food and eating practices from a sociological perspective.",

keywords = "Obesity, Assumed shared food narratives, Biographical interviews, Maternal feeding",

author = "Paul Bissell and Marian Peacock and Michelle Holdsworth and Katie Powell and John Wilcox and Angie Clonan",

note = "This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Bissell, P. , Peacock, M. , Holdsworth, M. , Powell, K. , Wilcox, J. and Clonan, A. (2018), Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks: reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England. Sociol Health Illn. . doi:10.1111/1467-9566.12746, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12746. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.",

year = "2018",

month = "9",

doi = "10.1111/1467-9566.12746",

language = "English",

volume = "40",

pages = "1142--1155",

journal = "Sociology of Health and Illness",

issn = "0141-9889",

publisher = "Blackwell Science Ltd",

number = "7",

}

Bissell, P, Peacock, M, Holdsworth, M, Powell, K, Wilcox, J & Clonan, A 2018, 'Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks: reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England', Sociology of Health and Illness, vol. 40, no. 7, pp. 1142-1155. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12746

Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks : reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England. / Bissell, Paul; Peacock, Marian; Holdsworth, Michelle; Powell, Katie; Wilcox, John; Clonan, Angie.

In: Sociology of Health and Illness, Vol. 40, No. 7, 09.2018, p. 1142-1155.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

TY - JOUR

T1 - Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks

T2 - reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England

AU - Bissell, Paul

AU - Peacock, Marian

AU - Holdsworth, Michelle

AU - Powell, Katie

AU - Wilcox, John

AU - Clonan, Angie

N1 - This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Bissell, P. , Peacock, M. , Holdsworth, M. , Powell, K. , Wilcox, J. and Clonan, A. (2018), Introducing the idea of ‘assumed shared food narratives’ in the context of social networks: reflections from a qualitative study conducted in Nottingham, England. Sociol Health Illn. . doi:10.1111/1467-9566.12746, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12746. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.

PY - 2018/9

Y1 - 2018/9

N2 - This study explores the ways in which social networks might shape accounts about food practices. Drawing on insights from the work of Christakis and Fowler (2007) whose claims about the linkages between obesity and social networks have been the subject of vigorous debate in the sociological literature, we present qualitative data from a study of women's’ accounts of social networks and food practices, conducted in Nottingham, England. We tentatively suggest that whilst social networks, in their broadest sense, might shape what was perceived to be normal and acceptable in relation to food practices (and provide everyday discursive resources which normalise practice), the relationship between the two is more complex than the linear relationship proposed by Christakis and Fowler. Here, we introduce the idea of assumed shared food narratives (ASFNs), which, we propose, sheds light on motive talk about food practices, and which also provide practical and discursive resources to actors seeking to protect and defend against ‘untoward’ behaviour, in the context of public health messages around food and eating. We suggest that understanding ASFNs and the ways in which they are embedded in social networks represents a novel way of understanding food and eating practices from a sociological perspective.

AB - This study explores the ways in which social networks might shape accounts about food practices. Drawing on insights from the work of Christakis and Fowler (2007) whose claims about the linkages between obesity and social networks have been the subject of vigorous debate in the sociological literature, we present qualitative data from a study of women's’ accounts of social networks and food practices, conducted in Nottingham, England. We tentatively suggest that whilst social networks, in their broadest sense, might shape what was perceived to be normal and acceptable in relation to food practices (and provide everyday discursive resources which normalise practice), the relationship between the two is more complex than the linear relationship proposed by Christakis and Fowler. Here, we introduce the idea of assumed shared food narratives (ASFNs), which, we propose, sheds light on motive talk about food practices, and which also provide practical and discursive resources to actors seeking to protect and defend against ‘untoward’ behaviour, in the context of public health messages around food and eating. We suggest that understanding ASFNs and the ways in which they are embedded in social networks represents a novel way of understanding food and eating practices from a sociological perspective.

KW - Obesity

KW - Assumed shared food narratives

KW - Biographical interviews

KW - Maternal feeding

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053033148&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/1467-9566.12746

DO - 10.1111/1467-9566.12746

M3 - Article

VL - 40

SP - 1142

EP - 1155

JO - Sociology of Health and Illness