Class, feeding practices, and distinction: an ethnographic and longitudinal exploration

This chapter explores how social class shapes the child feeding practices of sample families living in South-East England. It uses an ethnographic longitudinal approach and Bourdieusian conceptual tools such as habitus, cultural capital, and taste for distinction and necessity. After reviewing the most recent literature on the relationship between social class and food consumption, the chapter focuses on how these notions translate into feeding practices after having children. The analysis delineates class patterns in such practices, as well as notions of health, balanced feeding, and homemade food. It also emphasizes the need to consider the dynamism of feeding practices as they change in response to conditions and shifts in resources. The conclusion discusses the broader significance of methodological decisions in the study of consumption practices, especially when focusing on nuanced class differences.