Practice Theoretical Perspectives on Urban Gardeners' & Foragers' Motivations: A Qualitative Multiple-Case Study on the Contemporary Everyday Life Perfomativity of Urban Gardening & Foraging Practices

Brandhøj, Mia

4. term

Integrated Food Studies (cand.tech.), Master

2015

2015-01-05

79

I nutidens Danmark er det sjældent nødvendigt selv at dyrke eller sanke mad, fordi detailhandlen og et velforsynet fødevaresystem leverer året rundt. Alligevel blomstrer byhaver og sankning i byerne. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvorfor nogle vælger disse praksisser, hvordan de kan forstås i en dansk nutidig sammenhæng, og hvilke kvaliteter de peger på for fremtidens fødevaresystem. Studiet bygger på en kvalitativ, flerstrenget metode: et litteraturstudie og et multiple-case-studie i Køge med etnografisk inspirerede observationer på fire praksissteder samt ti semistrukturerede interviews med praktikere. Analysen tager udgangspunkt i praksisteori og hverdagslivsperspektiver, som ser motivationer som en del af menneskers komplekse hverdag. Resultaterne viser, at deltagerne drives af skepsis over for fødevaresystemets udbud, især hvad angår kvalitet samt produktions- og forarbejdningsmetoder. De ønsker viden og kontrol gennem mental og kropslig involvering i maden fra spire- eller voksested til tallerken. De vurderer den mad, de dyrker eller sanker, som mere frisk, sund, lokal og naturlig og som kilde til mere smagfulde hverdagsmåltider. Indsigterne peger på, at fremtidens fødevaresystem kan styrke forbindelsen mellem mennesker og deres mad ved at give flere muligheder for sanselige, materielle erfaringer før måltidet og gøre vejen fra produktion til tallerken mere synlig.

In today’s Denmark, most people do not need to grow or forage their own food because the food system and retail ensure year-round availability. Yet urban gardening and foraging are flourishing in cities. This thesis explores why people choose these practices now, how they make sense in a Danish context, and what qualities they may suggest for the future food system. The study uses a qualitative, multi-sited approach: a literature review and a multiple-case study in Køge with ethnographically inspired observations at four practice sites and ten semi-structured interviews with practitioners. The analysis draws on practice theory and everyday life perspectives, which view motivations as part of the complexity of daily routines and values. Findings show that participants are motivated by distrust or concern about the food system’s supply, especially food quality and production and processing methods. They seek knowledge and control by engaging mentally and physically with food from growing or finding to plate. They consider the food they cultivate or forage to be fresher, healthier, more local and natural, and to provide more flavorful everyday meals. These insights suggest that the future food system could better reconnect people with their food by creating opportunities for material, sensory experiences before consumption and by making the path from production to plate more visible.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

Urban Gardening ; Foraging ; Theory of Practice ; Everyday Life ; Food Practices

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