Open this publication in new window or tab >>2017 (English)In: International Journal of Consumer Studies, ISSN 1470-6423, E-ISSN 1470-6431, Vol. 41, no 3, p. 237-244Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Is the ideal food consumer, educated in Home Economics in Sweden, one who makes sustainablechoices? By examining Home Economics textbooks for lower secondary school published from1962 to 2011, we explored what kind of food consumers emerged and thus open up a discussionon sustainability and food consumption. One standard textbook from each decade, in total six,was included in the study, and the passages dealing with food, as core content, were analyzed.Discourse analysis was used to reveal different characterizations of the ideal consumers, specifi-cally in relation to sustainable food consumption. Three different discourses emerged: (a) thehealthy and obedient consumer, (b) the healthy, thrifty, and caring consumer, and (c) the healthy,thrifty, and environmentally conscious consumer. There were both similarities and differencesamong these consumers, specifically regarding what knowledge they are shown to need and howthey are supposed to learn. All three consumers are primarily motivated by health arguments,even though health is related to finances in the second and to both finances and environment inthe third case. Furthermore, we found a common tendency for textbooks to express knowledge ina prescriptive way, with the implied belief that people are rational food consumers. This tendencyleads us to suggest that the discussion about future consumer education and textbooks could bebroadened and strengthened by the inclusion of a participative and critical approach and social responsibility.
Keywords
consumer education, Home and Consumer Studies, Home Economics, sustainable food consumption, textbooks
National Category
Didactics
Research subject
Curriculum Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-407802 (URN)10.1111/ijcs.12329 (DOI)000398573300001 ()
2020-03-292020-03-292021-08-26Bibliographically approved