IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v228y2019icp172-180.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A comparative ethnography of nutrition interventions: Structural violence and the industrialisation of agrifood systems in the Caribbean and the Pacific

Author

Listed:
  • Wilson, Marisa
  • McLennan, Amy

Abstract

Public health interventions that involve strategies to re-localise food fail in part because they pay insufficient attention to the global history of industrial food and agriculture. In this paper we use the method of comparative ethnography and the concept of structural violence to illustrate how historical and geographical patterns related to colonialism and industrialisation (e.g. agrarian change, power relations and trade dependencies) hinder efforts to address diet-related non-communicable diseases on two small islands. We find comparative ethnography provides a useful framework for cross-country analysis of public health programmes that can complement quantitative analysis. At the same time, the concept of structural violence enables us to make sense of qualitative material and link the failure of such programmes to wider historical and geographical processes. We use ethnographic research carried out from April to August 2013 and from June to July 2014 in Trinidad (with follow-up online interviews in 2018) and in Nauru from February to May 2010 and August 2010 to February 2011. Our island case studies share commonalities that point to similar experiences of colonialism and industrialisation and comparable health-related challenges faced in everyday life.

Suggested Citation

  • Wilson, Marisa & McLennan, Amy, 2019. "A comparative ethnography of nutrition interventions: Structural violence and the industrialisation of agrifood systems in the Caribbean and the Pacific," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 172-180.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:228:y:2019:i:c:p:172-180
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.03.029
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953619301716
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.03.029?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Noel Castree & William M. Adams & John Barry & Daniel Brockington & Bram Büscher & Esteve Corbera & David Demeritt & Rosaleen Duffy & Ulrike Felt & Katja Neves & Peter Newell & Luigi Pellizzoni & Kate, 2014. "Changing the intellectual climate," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(9), pages 763-768, September.
    2. Brewis, Alexandra A., 2014. "Stigma and the perpetuation of obesity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 152-158.
    3. Shannon, Kate & Kerr, Thomas & Allinott, Shari & Chettiar, Jill & Shoveller, Jean & Tyndall, Mark W., 2008. "Social and structural violence and power relations in mitigating HIV risk of drug-using women in survival sex work," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 911-921, February.
    4. Stephen Hinchliffe & Mark A. Jackson & Katrina Wyatt & Anne E. Barlow & Manuela Barreto & Linda Clare & Michael H. Depledge & Robin Durie & Lora E. Fleming & Nick Groom & Karyn Morrissey & Laura Salis, 2018. "Healthy publics: enabling cultures and environments for health," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Offer, Avner & Pechey, Rachel & Ulijaszek, Stanley (ed.), 2012. "Insecurity, Inequality, and Obesity in Affluent Societies," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780197264980, Decembrie.
    6. Johan Galtung, 1969. "Violence, Peace, and Peace Research," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 6(3), pages 167-191, September.
    7. Pigg, Stacy Leigh, 2013. "On sitting and doing: Ethnography as action in global health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 127-134.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Guell, Cornelia & Brown, Catherine R & Iese, Viliamu & Navunicagi, Otto & Wairiu, Morgan & Unwin, Nigel, 2021. "“We used to get food from the garden.” Understanding changing practices of local food production and consumption in small island states," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    2. Henrice Altink, 2020. "Tackling child malnutrition in Jamaica, 1962–2020," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Sara F. Brouwer, 2023. "Kumusha and masalads: (inter)generational foodways and urban food security in Zimbabwe," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(2), pages 761-775, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. de Silva, M.W. Amarasiri & Albert, Steven M. & Jayasekara, J.M.K.B., 2017. "Structural violence and chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Sri Lanka," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 184-195.
    2. Panter-Brick, Catherine & Eggerman, Mark, 2018. "The field of medical anthropology in Social Science & Medicine," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 233-239.
    3. Biswas, Debashish & Hossin, Raduan & Rahman, Mahbubur & Bardosh, Kevin Louis & Watt, Melissa H. & Zion, Mazharul Islam & Sujon, Hasnat & Rashid, Md Mahbubur & Salimuzzaman, M. & Flora, Meerjady S. & Q, 2020. "An ethnographic exploration of diarrheal disease management in public hospitals in Bangladesh: From problems to solutions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    4. Roslizawati Taib & Mohd Rizal Mohd Yaakop, 2017. "Political Participation: Radical Young People in Malaysia," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 7(6), pages 925-939, June.
    5. Josep Lloret & Rafael Abós-Herràndiz & Sílvia Alemany & Rosario Allué & Joan Bartra & Maria Basagaña & Elisa Berdalet & Mònica Campàs & Arnau Carreño & Montserrat Demestre & Jorge Diogène & Eva Fontde, 2020. "The Roses Ocean and Human Health Chair: A New Way to Engage the Public in Oceans and Human Health Challenges," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-19, July.
    6. Scott A. Carson, 2021. "Omitting the Obvious: Cohort Effects in 19th and 20th Century BMI Variation," CESifo Working Paper Series 8817, CESifo.
    7. Robert Koulish, 2016. "Using Risk to Assess the Legal Violence of Mandatory Detention," Laws, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-20, July.
    8. Christopher J. Colvin & Myrna Pinxteren & Mandla Majola & Natalie Leon & Alison Swartz & Nonzuzo Mbokazi & Mark Lurie, 2020. "Fostering a healthy public for men and HIV: a case study of the Movement for Change and Social Justice (MCSJ)," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 1-8, December.
    9. Shirley J Semple & Jamila K Stockman & Eileen V Pitpitan & Steffanie A Strathdee & Claudia V Chavarin & Doroteo V Mendoza & Gregory A Aarons & Thomas L Patterson, 2015. "Prevalence and Correlates of Client-Perpetrated Violence against Female Sex Workers in 13 Mexican Cities," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(11), pages 1-15, November.
    10. Claire E. Altman & Jennifer Van Hook & Jonathan Gonzalez, 2017. "Becoming Overweight without Gaining a Pound: Weight Evaluations and the Social Integration of Mexicans in the United States," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(1), pages 3-36, March.
    11. Brunson, Jan, 2020. "Tool of economic development, metric of global health: Promoting planned families and economized life in Nepal," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    12. Davis, Jenny L. & Goar, Carla & Manago, Bianca & Reidinger, Bobbi, 2018. "Distribution and disavowal: Managing the parental stigma of Children's weight and weight loss," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 219(C), pages 61-69.
    13. Holterman, Devin, 2014. "Slow violence, extraction and human rights defence in Tanzania: Notes from the field," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 59-65.
    14. Krithika Srinivasan & Tim Kurz & Pradeep Kuttuva & Chris Pearson, 2019. "Reorienting rabies research and practice: Lessons from India," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-11, December.
    15. Lazarus, L. & Chettiar, J. & Deering, K. & Nabess, R. & Shannon, K., 2011. "Risky health environments: Women sex workers’ struggles to find safe, secure and non-exploitative housing in Canada’s poorest postal code," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(11), pages 1600-1607.
    16. Parry, Luke & Radel, Claudia & Adamo, Susana B. & Clark, Nigel & Counterman, Miriam & Flores-Yeffal, Nadia & Pons, Diego & Romero-Lankao, Paty & Vargo, Jason, 2019. "The (in)visible health risks of climate change," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    17. Yuri van Hoef & Andrea Oelsner, 2018. "Friendship and Positive Peace: Conceptualising Friendship in Politics and International Relations," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(4), pages 115-124.
    18. Haaland, Marte E.S. & Haukanes, Haldis & Zulu, Joseph Mumba & Moland, Karen Marie & Blystad, Astrid, 2020. "Silent politics and unknown numbers: Rural health bureaucrats and Zambian abortion policy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    19. Pat Gibbons & Ronan McDermott & Sulagna Maitra & Joost Herman, 2018. "Building on the capacities of crisis‐affected populations: From victims to actors," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(5), pages 547-560, September.
    20. Pierre Levasseur, 2021. "Dynamics of the Bodyweight-Wage Relationship in Emerging Countries: Evidence from Mexico [Dynamiques de la relation entre corpulence et salaire dans les pays émergents : le cas du Mexique]," Post-Print hal-03335825, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:228:y:2019:i:c:p:172-180. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.