Update 1/17/2018: Preparing to submit final paper to journal

Co-authored with Dr. Shawn Trivette of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

As cities and urban areas grow, many people are feeling an increasing disconnect from nature and lack existential authenticity in their everyday lives. Urban consumers are especially-vulnerable to these emotions as they become numb to the city and yearn for the exotic. Dissatisfaction with consumerism and the “inauthentic nature of of modern life” is leading many people to rethink their consumption behaviors—particularly, when it comes to food choices.

Consumers seek a variety of values in their food, such as health, safety, and taste, but may not be certain as to how to assess the authenticity of such values. Many consumers may turn-to food labels for answers, but it is questionable whether the labels legitimately reflect those qualities. The organic label has a clear set of criteria behind its usage, though those criteria are often not widely understood and the label is still associated with a variety of additional values. Local food is similarly associated with a wide array of potential values, but with even less clarity as to its ultimate meaning. Given this background, it is worth examining how food retail spaces generate authenticity and meaning in their utilization of local branding.

This project draws on localized exchange ties among food retail outlets in the downtown Chattanooga, TN, city core (an area that has seen heavy investment and promotion in the past two decades). During the summer of 2018 we visited each food establishment in this 2-square-mile area that had any indication of promoting or engaging with the local economy. At each establishment we asked where they sourced or provided food within the area. These answers formed the basis of a network database which we used to trace the patterns of food exchange within the city.

Presenting at:

• Southern Sociological Society - Atlanta, GA
  • 13 April 2019

Please contact me for updates on this project