Eating practice models in Spain and the United Kingdom: A comparative time-use analysis

The time dedicated to eating is changing. Although a tendency towards the homogenization of eating habits has been confirmed, the scarcity of comparative studies means that it is impossible to know whether the variations are occurring equally or with the same intensity in all countries. In this stud...

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Veröffentlicht in:International journal of comparative sociology 2014-02, Vol.55 (1), p.24-44
Hauptverfasser: Díaz-Méndez, Cecilia, García-Espejo, Isabel
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:The time dedicated to eating is changing. Although a tendency towards the homogenization of eating habits has been confirmed, the scarcity of comparative studies means that it is impossible to know whether the variations are occurring equally or with the same intensity in all countries. In this study, time dedicated to eating and cooking in Spain and the United Kingdom is analysed. Questions are asked regarding the decline in eating at home and the fragmentation of meals. An analysis is made whether different social groups behave in a similar way with regard to the time spent eating and to what extent the changes affect some groups more than others, generating greater social differences. In order to do this, official Spanish and British time-use surveys are used, and the data from two different time periods are analysed using multivariate techniques. In both countries, signs of convergence are detected, although the speed of change is different. Despite the convergence, the results also show that the changes in eating habits are not linear and are affected by moments of intense social transformation. Phenomena such as the economic crisis in the case of Spain affect the society and impose specific eating habit trends, generating new forms of social differentiation.
ISSN:0020-7152
1745-2554
DOI:10.1177/0020715213519657