Food Literacy Food Bildung concepts and understandings Jette

Food Literacy – Food ‘Bildung’ concepts and understandings Jette Benn Institute of Education, Aarhus University 2014 1

Questions Why deal with food – my history! What is food What is literacy and food literacy (review)? What is food ‘Bildung’? Which meaning does it have for educational and didactical (in the broad sense) considerations? • Which research themes and developmental works could be relevant? • • • 2

My history – research and empirical experiences • Food experiences: care, breeding, education, impressions • Children’s meeting with food in school, in teaching and lunch break • Action research and developmental work within home economics – text books • Children’s experiences and understanding interview studies, essays, observations 3

What is food? Foods Model of the levels of food (Benn, 2009, 2013) 4

‘Food is a complex case. It’s consumption is universal, mundane and polyvalent. Everyone eats, most eat several times a day without much reflection; yet the activity is integrally connected with many other highly meaningful aspects of living. It is meaningful because social; ’ (Warde 1997 s. 181) 5

Food literacy review Search words Food literacy, nutrition literacy, kitchen literacy, cooking literacy Children and adolescents Introductory – Google Scholar, all bases of our searchings library (AU Library) Searching Proquest, peer reviewed, Language English, German, Swedish, Norwegian Hits 221 Selection 21 Chosen 14 + 2 (books not included) 6

Literacy • Reading the word and the world (Freire, 1987) • ‘A dialectical relationship between human beings and the world’ (Giroux i: Freire & Macedo, 1987) • ‘To be well educated, learned’ (UNESCO, 2013) 1) as an autonomous set of skills 2) as applied, practised and situated 3) as a learning process 4) as text 7

Food literacy concerns & causes • Lack of knowledge of where food comes from (Vileisis, 2008) • Lack of cooking and consumer skills – deskilling (Caraher & Lang, 1998 Caraher et al, 1999, Jaffe & Gertler, 2006, Thonney & Bisogni, 2006) • Lack of knowledge concerning the ability to read and understand nutrition messenges • The growing ‘obsogenic’ society • To develop a new concept and aim for food education 8

Review results 1. Theoretical research of the literacy concept - 6 examples, no 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 14, 16. 2. Empirical surveys (with theoretical approaches to FL) – examples, no 6, 9, 11, 13, 15. 3. Educational programs and guidelines based upon on 1) and /or 2) and/or 3) – 3 examples, no. 5, 8, 12 4. Intervention study – 1 example, no. 14 9

No. , Author(s) Year 1. Bartsch, S 2008 2. Block, LG, et al 2011 Title Method Subjektorientierung in Theoretical analysis der Ernährungs- und Gesundheitsbildung From Nutrients to Theoretical analysis Nurturance: A Conceptual Introduction to Food Well-being 3. Bublitz, MG et al The Quest for Eating Theoretical analysis 2011 Right: Advancing Food Well-being 4. Carlsen, HB Food and aesthetics Theoretical analysis 2011 5. Evers, Tony 2009 Building skills for health literacynutrition 6. Fordyce. Voorham, S 2011 Identification of Essential Food Skills for Skill-based Healthful Eating Programs in Secondary Schools. General perspectives Remarks Uses educational, didactical competence oriented In German concept and Antonovsky’s concepts sense of coherence as meaningfulness, manageability, comprehensibility Suggest a paradigm shift from foods seen as health Suggest a 5 -pin to food well-being (FWB). Food literacy is seen as 1 wheel model of 4 parts of FWB both at societal and individual level. Builds on Nutbeam, Food literacy is seen as one part of 5 core areas of food wellbeing. Food literacy is knowledge of nutrition and foods, and cooking. Food ‘Bildung’ is based on Klafki’s understanding as self-determination, participatory democracy (citizenship) & solidarity built on 6 different dimensions of ‘Bildung’ and on aesthetic philosophy Program built on Content of nutrition literacy described as Wisconsin Model, Nutrition, food safety, critical thinking skills, Academic Standards nutrition for health promotion, diversity, for Nutrition & identification & classification of food. National Health & Ed. standards. Empirical study. Social constructivist paradigm used and grounded Interviews of experts theory to identify essential food skills. within food, nutrition, and education In Danish, suggest more models for learning and aesthetic experience Primarily a handbook for nutrition profes -sionals 10

No. , Author(s) Title Year Method General perspectives Remarks 7. Heindl, I 2003 Theoretical analysis based of European works of health education and health literacy theory. Food Bildung involves the consideration of 7 theses necessary for education, meaning to deal both with foods, meals, nutrition and eating in a critical and aesthetic perspective. German textbook for teacher education, home economics and health Curriculum program Food literacy builds on ‘hands on’ physical acitivities (growing), cooking, science and social studies to increase ‘food literacy’. Empirical study of private food courses, and participants’ motives to join. Food education is understood here as food literacy, and as a conservative ideal to cook at home, and to keep feminine traditional ideals concerning food. Empirical study, content analysis of posts regarding cooking education in Australia, refers to the health literacy concept of St. Leger Concept map from findings, 3 themes Nutbeams health were seen: Informal food literacy, literacy components formal food literacy learning I schools, transferred to food formal food literacy in home economics. literacy. 8. Nowak, AJ, Kolouch, G, Schneyer, L & Roberts, KH, 2012 9. Kimura, AH, 2010 10. Pendergas t, D, Garvis, S, Kanasa H 2011 Studienbuch Ernährungsbildung. Ein europäisches Konzept zur schulischen Gesundheitsförderung Building Food Literacy and positive Relationships with Helathy Food in children through School Gardens Food education as food literacy: privatized and gendered food knowledge in contemporary Japan Insight from the Public on Home economics and Formal Food Literacy. 11

No. , Author(s) Year 11. Smith, MG 2009 Title Method General perspectives Remarks Food or nutrition literacy? What concept should guide Home Economics education Theoretical and empirical analysis of some curricula hold against health literacy Food literacy program and toolbox Food and nutrition literacy is related to Nutbeam's health literacy components. ‘Food literacy is the ability to organize one’s everyday nutrition in a selfdetermined, responsible and enjoyable way. ’(p. 9) Targeted towards adult education, & socially disadvantage d groups 12. Schnögl, S et Savoury dishes for adult al, education and counseling 2009 Food Literacy Report with guidelines and toolbox 13. Snyder, S 2009 Ethnographies of Taste: Theoretical and empirical Food literacy draws on the following Cooking, Cuisine, and Cultural study, analysis of four components: Meals, and meal Literacy works preparation, food skills, nutrition knowledge, food involvement, and cooking 14. Thomas, H Cook it up! A community. Cooking literacy program Food literacy seen as ability to healthy & Irwin, JD based cooking program for at for adolescents – a food choices, skills and knowledge to -risk youth: overview of a community intervention buy, grow and cook food with food literacy intervention implications for improving health 15. Vidgen, H & What is food literacy and Empirical survey - phone Eight potential components of food Gallegos, D does it influence what we interviews and online literacy were identified: Access, planning 2011 eat: A Study of Austalian food surveys of Australian food & management, selection, knowledge of experts understanding of food origin, preparation, eating, food literacy. nutrition, and language 16. Vidgen, H & Food literacy: Time for a new Theoretical literature Gallegos, D term or just another review. 2011 buzzword Food literacy : Meals, and meal preparation, food skills, nutrition knowledge, food involvement, and cooking A conceptual model was developed. 12

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Results – food literacy as a general educational food ‘Bildung’ (1, 7, 4) as part of food well-being (2, 3) as cultural literacy (13) as growing and cooking literacy (5, 8, 9, partly) as health education and health literacy (11, 12, 14) 6. as experienced by the public, participants, and professionals within food area ( 6, 8, 13, 9) 7. as health and nutrition intervention (12) 13

Fo od W ell Be ing Nutrition literacy Food literacy Cooking literacy Cultural literacy Food Literacy – Food ‘Bildung’ Levels of food and literacy (Benn, 2014) 14

1. General educational food literacy/‘Bildung’ • • Nutrition literacy • Health literacy Consumer literacy q Salutogenetic oriented learning q Competence oriented learning q Everyday life oriented learning § Subject § Social relations § Society 15

• 1. General educational food literacy/‘Bildung’ Productivity regarding handicraft and technology and in the home The enjoyable and responsible dealing with own body. Human relationships- the sociality Food literacy/ Food ’Bildung Co- decision Cognitive possibilities Solidarity t The ability to make ethical & political decisions and to take ethical & political actions. Aesthetic abilities and judgement Food ‘Bildung’ according to Carlsen, H. B. in Klafki’s Bildung Model (Carlsen, 2010, Klafki, 2005) 16

Examples of food literacy as a general food ‘Bildung’ – Ernährungsbildung: 7 theses in relation to ‘Food Bildung’ 1. Thesis: sensibility and enjoyment is related to eating 2. Thesis: eating experience is closely related to memories (earlier experiences) 3. Thesis: nutrition, eating and food is means to communication 4. Thesis: personal and collective work and responsibility has changed 5. Thesis: modern foods represents wishes and projections from everyday life 6. Thesis: poverty in wealth makes illness 7. Thesis: conclusive: lack of Bildung diminishes life quality and shortens life 17

2. Food literacy as part of food well-being • conceptual or declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge • ability or opportunity and motivation to apply or use that knowledge(ibid. p. 7) 18

3. Food literacy as cultural literacy • Cultural literacy or kitchen literacy draws on the following components: Meals, and meal preparation, food skills, nutrition knowledge, food involvement, and cooking. • The conclusion is ‘food literacy is so important to understanding not only our food, but our culture. Understanding culture, then, demands knowing about ourselves and all our culture’s intricate, messy, cultural, political, yet tasty, elements. ‘ (Snyder, 13) 19

4. Food literacy through practical courses - growing and cooking literacy • • • Growing and cooking food is necessary so ‘they form personal opinions about food and learn that, even at their age, they can create dishes they enjoy eating’ (Novak , 8, p. 393) and they ‘are becoming part of the food supply chain for the school lunch program. They gain an appreciation of the hard work and effort by farmers and the safety concerns of all people that handle the food from the farm to their school’ (Novak, 8, p. 393) Food literacy is defined as ‘supporting people all over Europe with organizing their everyday nutrition in a self-determined, responsible and enjoyable way’ (Schnögel, p. 7). And as ‘a contribution towards the sustainable, democratic development of European citizenship’ (p. 7) Nutrition literacy is ‘The capacity of an individual to obtain, interpret and understand basic health information and services, along with the competence to use such information and services in ways that enhance health. Health-literate citizens are critical thinkers, problem solvers, and self-directed learners’ (Evers, 5, p. ix) 20

5. Food literacy as health literacy 1) Food literacy as functional, interactive and critical (Smith, 2009, no. 11 and Vidgen & Gallegos, 2011, no. 16) 2) ‘Food literacy as an educational goal means adding that component to our ideal of an educated person’ (Smith p. 57), 3) ‘A food literate student would understand that there are what Vaines (1999) calls “Many Ways of Knowing”. That is ‘life world (the world of lived experience); Scientific (analytic/empirical; interpretive; critical science) and Narrative’ (Smith, p. 57). 4) Learners are ‘co-creators’ (Smith from Pollan) 5) Food literacy is seen if taken seriously as if ‘the ordinary task of everyday life such as food provision become meaningful and sacred’ (Smith, p. 59) 21

6. a. Food literacy understood by professionals, participants and public Professionals in the food area: • ‘A critical component to include in a skill-based healthful eating program. • Food is mainly as an individual’s ability to read, understand, and act upon labels on fresh, canned, frozen, processed and takeout food. ’ (Fordyce- Voorham p. 119) Public Views on food literacy: • Three main themes came out: Informal food literacy learning, formal food literacy in general and formal literacy in home economics classes. A great part of the respondents (36%) found that food literacy should be informal learning and be a responsibility of the parents whereas 18% found it was necessary to learn formal in school within home economics, and 23% asked for more compulsory teaching. (Pendergast, Garvis & Kanasa) 22

6 B Food literacy in food ed. courses Kimura’s Critique • ‘Idealiazation of “a family meal” where families sit together to eat dinner, • “food from scratch” made at home could exabcerbate the conservative cultural mood that nostalgically constructs an ideal past which revolves around the “traditional” (and implicitly heterocexual and upper-middle class) family completed by its male breadwinner-female homemaker icon’ (p. 466) • food literacy is seen as a narrow concept, which is ‘embedded in the power configuration of society’ (p. 466) Kimuras visions • food education to hold a broader societal perspective and wishes ‘the food literacy framework contrasted with a more structural understanding of food-related behaviors and practices as functions of cultural and social influence, one’s class position, gender stereotypes, social infrastructure, and the macrosturcture of food and agricultural systems’ (p. 480). 23

7. Food literacy as health intervention • Food literacy defined as ‘ the ability to make healthy food choices by having the skills and knowledge necessary to buy, grow, and cook food with implications for improving health’ (p. 2). ’ • Objective was to provide education and to increase skills and awareness of agriculture, healthy eating, food preparation, and food purchasing skills. ’ (p. 2)’ • Courses as hand-on food literacy education that highlighted general nutrition, food safety, selection, preparation, and cooking skills’(p. 2) • Evaluation – pre and post baseline measures (Thomas & Irwin, 2011, no. 12) 24

Competencies Aims Examples To know Understanding of coherence (knowing) Prudency and ability to make decisions e. g. To know coherence between intakes and health To do Everyday life competencies (capable and cope-able) Practical and technical competencies e. g. grow, lifeworld concerning foodracy llowing. choose and cook to handle everyday life problems To sense and express Aesthetic impression and expression Explore, experience , and express with all senses e. g. food through cooking and tasting To want Responsibility and willingness (participation and action) Citizenship and democracy e. g. to participate in solving general food problems in society To be Caring Ethical considerations concerning oneself, others and environment e. g. choices reflecting care Competencies regarding food literacy/ ‘Bildung’ (Benn, 2013) 25

Aspects Broad understandings Narrow understandings Aims Empowerment, self-decision, codecision and critical understanding concerning food, meals and well-being Food literacy as plain literacy; understanding nutrition informations, recipes and labels Healthy choices, proper nutrition and/or cooking competencies. Gendered – female education Content Food from production to eating. All aspects of nutrition, foods, meals, diets in a critical view concerning both the individual, the group and society Exemplary, student oriented themes. Food seen as single issues aspects: Cooking, growing, nutrition, diet, … Systematic courses external/teacher decided Competencies Knowing, doing, experiencing, exploring, being. Cultural skills in a broad sense Reading skills/Academic skills Growing, consuming, cooking skills in a narrow sense Setting From micro to macro Mainly micro 26

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The ’gatekeeper’ role • • Choices by numerous ’gates’ Who chooses for who? What is chosen? why? How is food prepared? Served? How is food eaten? why? Where? With whom? What does this mean for food literacy? 28

”Food for me” Featured by preferences for: • Foods & dishes • Taste • Place/environment • Time • Feelings ”Diet for others” Featured by considerations concerning: • Foods & nutrients • Health & illnesses • Economy • Moral • Prohibitions ”ego-centric consumer” ”eco-centrered producer” Food for me and diet for others (Benn 2009 s. 206) 29

’Food Literacy’ is related to knowledge and experiences from • The life world – a world of lived experiences • Sciences - analysis, empirical, interpretation – critical understanding • Narrative stories (Smith inspirered by Vaines, 2009) 30

Central aspects regarding food literacy/’food Bildung’* • • Actuality Content – all parts/issues concerning food Competencies Trans- or inter-disciplinary views * Ines Heindl (2003): Studienbuch Ernährungsbildung, p. 89 31

Traditionel - Healthy nutrition behavior - True or untrue (independant of situation) - Normative (demands, calculable) - Societal value oriented alienated decision New Aims - Conscious and selfdecided food act - gunstigt/ugunstigt (dependant of situation) - emancipatory (demands and wishes) -subjective value oriented Self decision, own responsibility Didactics - Systematic teaching courses - Scientific orientered (subject/item structurered) - Teaching knowledges (e. g. nutrition knowledge: nutrients, k. J, daily diets) - Good advices, often not applicable in everyday life - Exemplary learning and teaching - Student orientered - Action orientered - Sciences serve as informaiton giver (assists in orientation & decision) - Conrete usable, learn to act, related to everyday life Ernährungserziehung, Selbst-Bewusstsein und Eigenverantwortlichkeit – Forderungen und 32 Überforderungen (Methfessel, 1996, i Benn’s translation)

Relevant research themes and developmental works? • Food Literacy – Food Bildung, further theoretical illumination and development of concepts related to educational outcomes such as action competence • Children’s ’food literacy/’Bildung’ in institutionelsettings through active participation • Practical prudency as part of food literacy – the practical issue in literacy and ‘Bildung’ • The meaning of sensoric and aesthetic in food literacy • Development of exemplaray food projects cross boarders • Development of new ´laboratories´ for development and experiencing – food work places 33