Ms Claire Thompson
PhD student
Research interests:
Health geography; food environments, food practices, socio-cultural determinants of diet, identities, ethnography, discourse analysis.
Thesis title: Experiences of the food environment and the role of the ‘routine’ in producing food practices: an ethnography of Sandwell residents
Despite a sustained academic interest in food environments and their impact upon dietary practices, relatively little is known about the ways in which individuals interact with the food environment. The multiple and complex factors that influence food choices are difficult to investigate, especially in the family setting where individual and collective practices intersect. This thesis investigates how people perform food practices in different contexts and unpacks how those contexts shape, promote and constrain certain behaviours.
Through ethnographically collecting accounts and observations of how people perform food practices, both in the home and while shopping for food in the supermarket, the research explores the routinised approaches taken to food behaviours. Food practices are often repetitive, context specific and often uncritical behaviours. This thesis highlights the importance of place in shaping and even dictating routine food practices. The role and complexity of place has been underestimated in health policy and promotion models that address food and dietary practices. This thesis specifically examines the way food practices are shaped by place at the micro level.
Key words: food environment, routine behaviours, supermarkets, food shopping, home, family meals, food practices.
Research questions:
There are three main research aims:
- To explore and describe how people perceive and interact with the food environment
- To investigate how routine food behaviours are performed in, and shaped by, specific contexts.
- To examine how food related practices and identities interrelate across home and food shopping spaces
Funding:
ESRC CASE PhD Studentship in collaboration with Sandwell Primary Care Trust.
Supervisors:
Professor Steven Cummins (Queen Mary), Dr Tim Brown (Queen Mary), Dr Rosemary Kyle (Sandwell PCT)
Education:
BSc (Hons) Social Policy and Management
MA in The Social Sciences
PGCE in Post Compulsory Education and Training
Membership:
Royal Geographic Society (with IBG) – Geography of Health research group
Health Environments Research Programme (HERP) at Queen Mary
British Sociological Association – Food study group and Medical Sociology study group
Competitions:
The Mary Langham Essay Prize (first prize) from the Pioneer Health Foundation (2009).
First place research competition winner at Emerging and New Research in Geographies of Health and Impairment (ENRGHI), 2009, 14th Annual Conference, Durham.
Reviews:
- Thompson, C, Savona, N and Cummins, S (2010) Review of article: Anderson SE, Whitaker RC (2010) ‘Household routines and obesity in US preschool-aged children.’ Faculty of 1000 Medicine http://f1000.com/6734958
- Cummins, S and Thompson, C (2009) Review of article: Thomas SL, Hyde J, Karunaratne A, Herbert D, Komesaroff PA (2008) ‘Being 'fat' in today's world: a qualitative study of the lived experiences of people with obesity in Australia.’ Faculty of 1000 Medicine http://f1000medicine.com/realurl//article/article.asp?id=1146881&view=&style=
- Thompson, C and Cummins, S (2009) Review of article: Welch N, Hunter W, Butera K, Willis K, Cleland V, Crawford D, Ball K (2009) ‘Women's work. Maintaining a healthy body weight.’ Faculty of 1000 Medicine http://f1000medicine.com/realurl//article/article.asp?id=1166242&view=&style
Essays:
- Thompson, C (2009) ‘The Relevance of the Peckham Experiment in the 21st Century.’ Pioneer Health Foundation. http://www.thephf.org/MaryLangmanprize.html
Presentations
- Thompson, C, Cummins, S, Kyle, R, and Brown, T (2011) ‘The go-along interview: conducting interviews and observations on accompanied food shopping trips’ (round-table discussion) British Sociological Association Annual Conference, 60 years of Sociology, 2011 Annual Conference, The London School of Economics
- Thompson, C, Cummins, S, Kyle, R, and Brown, T (2011) ‘Basket of plenty? The role of choice and chaos in consuming the neighbourhood food environment’ International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA), 2011, Annual Conference, Melbourne.
- Thompson, C, Cummins, S, Kyle, R, and Brown, T (2011) ‘The Go-along Interview: a qualitative methodology for understanding behavioural responses to the neighbourhood food environment’ (Poster) International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA), 2011, Annual Conference, Melbourne.
- Thompson, C, Cummins, S, Kyle, R, and Brown, T (2011) ‘Enacting Choice in the Local Food Environment: Contextual Influences on Consumption’ International Medical Geography Symposium (IMGS), 2011, 14th Bi-annual Conference, Durham
- Thompson, C, Cummins, S, Kyle, R, and Brown, T (2011) ‘Participant-led Methodologies: Using Photo Voice and Go-Along Interviews to Investigate Food Practices’ International Medical Geography Symposium (IMGS), 2011, 14th Bi-annual Conference, Durham
- Thompson, C, Cummins, S, Brown, T and Kyle, R (2010 )'Exploring the environmental determinants of diet. A mediating role for culture?' (Poster) International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA), 2010, Annual Conference, Minneapolis.
- Thompson, C, Cummins, S, Brown, T and Kyle, R (2010) 'Reframing obesity: the socio-cultural environment', (Poster) British Sociological Association Food Study Group, 2010, Second Annual Conference, London.
- Thompson, C (2009) ‘Obesity, Culture and the Built Environment: making the case for a holistic approach.’ Emerging and New Research in Geographies of Health and Impairment (ENRGHI), 2009, 14th Annual Conference, Durham.
- Thompson, C (2009) ‘Obesity, Culture and the Built Environment: a qualitative approach.’ School of Geography Postgraduate Presentation Day, 2009, Queen Mary, University of London.