More than a meal: Using a feminist perspective to understand mundane food consumption experiences of Chinese people in Nanjing and Sheffield

This thesis examines the mundane, everyday experiences of food consumption in Chinese households across the contrasting urban landscapes of Sheffield, UK, and Nanjing, China. It reveals how the neoliberal ideological tenets of market logic, competitiveness, and individual responsibility are navigated, resisted, and reproduced on a daily basis. This thesis argues that seemingly ordinary experiences, such as preparing and eating daily meals, can be a critical site for investigating the impacts of global neoliberal forces. It reveals that what is on our plates is, indeed, far more than just a meal; it is a reflection of the profound social and economic transformations of our time.

Adopting a practice-based approach combined with a feminist lens, this research develops a comparative ethnographic study of the diverse household types of 56 participants across two cities, providing a rich, qualitative account of the lived realities of food consumption. It reveals the continuity and changes in family food practices in terms of cultural meaning for food and gender, as well as material elements and competencies, such as the use of online grocery shopping. The findings demonstrate how the pressure of modern life, intensified by neoliberal food regimes, leads to a series of deprivations in people’s daily lived experiences. The study highlights a persistent gendered division of food responsibility despite different social contexts and men’s increasing involvement in daily food work.

A significant theoretical contribution of this study is that it enriches the current practice-based theoretical framework for food consumption studies. This study sheds light on how using a feminist lens can facilitate the understanding of social inequality and justice within the practice-based approach. Focusing on exploring materiality and visceral experience in food consumption, this study also contributes to the development of existing practice theories’ application in food studies.