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Undeserving, Disadvantaged, Disregarded: Three Viewpoints of Charity Food Aid Recipients in Finland

Author

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  • Anna Sofia Salonen

    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland)

  • Maria Ohisalo

    (Y-Foundation, 00531 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Tuomo Laihiala

    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland)

Abstract

Since the economic recession of the 1990s, Finland has experienced the proliferation of charity food aid as a means of helping people who are afflicted by poverty. However, so far little research has been conducted regarding the food aid recipients. This article gives discursive, demographic, and experiential insights into charity food provision and reception in Finland. Drawing on quantitative survey data, online discussion data related to news published on Finnish newspapers’ web pages, and observation and interviews with food aid recipients, this article sheds new light on Finnish food aid recipients from three perspectives. First, public perceptions about food aid often portray food recipients as dishonourable and responsible for their own poverty. Secondly, the survey data shows that the main reason for people resorting to charity food aid is deep economic disadvantage, and further, that there is an unequal accumulation of disadvantage among the food aid recipients, illustrating internal diversity. Third, observational and interview data show that from the food recipients’ perspective, the food aid system has only a limited ability to answer even their immediate food needs, and for the recipients, food aid venues can become not only socially significant, but also socially demanding and emotionally burdening places.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Sofia Salonen & Maria Ohisalo & Tuomo Laihiala, 2018. "Undeserving, Disadvantaged, Disregarded: Three Viewpoints of Charity Food Aid Recipients in Finland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:12:p:2896-:d:191275
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Laura DeLind, 1994. "Celebrating hunger in Michigan: A critique of an emergency food program and an alternative for the future," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 11(4), pages 58-68, September.
    2. Anna Salonen, 2018. "Religion, poverty, and abundance," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(1), pages 1-5, December.
    3. Valerie Tarasuk & Joan Eakin, 2005. "Food assistance through “surplus” food: Insights from an ethnographic study of food bank work," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 22(2), pages 177-186, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Christina Mary Pollard & Sue Booth, 2019. "Addressing Food and Nutrition Security in Developed Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-5, July.
    2. Christina M Pollard & Sue Booth, 2019. "Food Insecurity and Hunger in Rich Countries—It Is Time for Action against Inequality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-13, May.

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