Perspective Household Foodwork, Mary Anne Martin and Michael Classens

PERSPECTIVE HOUSEHOLD MARY ANNE MARTIN AND MICHAEL HOUSEHOLD AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE , ESSENTIALLY DEVALUED Mary Anne Martin is a White settler woman and adjunct member in the Master in Sustainable Studies gram at Trent University . Her interest include household food insecurity , the impact of food initiatives , and intersections between gender and food systems . She actively in food policy initiatives and is dedicated to fostering social change through collaborations . Michael is a White settler man and Assistant sor in the School of the Environment at University of . He is broadly interested in areas of social and environmental 272 HOUSEHOLD

justice , with an emphasis on these dynamics within food systems . As a teacher , researcher , learner , and activist he is committed to connecting theory with practice , and scholarship with logical change . Michael lives in with his partner , three kids , and dog named Sue . Learning Outcomes After reading and discussing this text , students should be able to Explain the concept , framing , and dynamics of household Name ways in which household is organized through structures of inequity such as gender , race , and class . Articulate ways in which individuals and food consumption are inextricable from broader structures and . Identify possible paths towards a fairer food system . INTRODUCTION How much thought do you give to activities like getting , making meals , and Washing dishes ?

These forms of hold , while so necessary on an ongoing basis for households to survive and for society to function , nonetheless tend to go relatively unnoticed and undervalued , both in the home and well beyond it . They can seem unremarkable , MARY ANNE MARTIN AND MICHAEL 273

, almost least until one has to do them . And because this work isn measured or counted , it doesn count in national accounting systems of economic value , like the Gross Domestic Product ( in turn , can make this work even less noticeable in homes and Household is defined here as all the tasks and effort involved for a household in planning for , acquiring , preparing , serving , consuming , cleaning up , storing , and disposing of food . It includes not only more obvious , practical tasks ( food shopping or washing dishes ) but also cognitive tasks ( mining what food to buy or how to use a recipe ) emotional work ( responding to household members needs for nurturing or celebration through food ) and managerial work ( enlisting the assistance of others with ) The way that holds are organized ( nuclear family members , extended ily members , individuals living on their own , collections of roommates ) affects what household looks like . Overall , household activities revolve primarily around the home and occur on an unpaid basis . However , they are by no means confined to just domestic spaces or practices . Feeding households frequently means engaging with businesses ( by phone , online , or in public spaces ) to procure food and related goods and services . More than ever , people today buy their food instead of growing or making This means that the kinds of work that were more common 150 years growing vegetables , raising chickens , preserving jams , baking bread , or cooking more often outsourced to those such as farmers , processors , retailers , restaurants , and , increasingly , takeout delivery services . Our ability to eat almost anything relies on other people . See Waring 1999 . 2006 . 274 HOUSEHOLD

FOOD FOR It may go without saying , but at a bare minimum , household requires food and the means to acquire it . Even though food is one of the most basic human needs , it is still treated as a commodity . That is , food is usually bought and sold , like so many things in our lives . This means , of course , that people with money are seen as deserving food , but those without money aren . Instead , people who cant afford food often live with food insecurity , the inadequate or insecure access to food because of financial They may worry a lot about affording food , go without nutritious food , or skip meals though many countries have committed to the right of all their citizens to adequate one example , in Canada , a prosperous country , of households ( or at least million people ) were living with food insecurity before the global COVID pandemic , while 105 of households , or over 35 million people in the , were food Paradoxically , as Figure illustrates , some of those with the utmost responsibility for household , such as parents , often dont have adequate food with which to accomplish it . In fact , in Canada , the presence of children under the age of 18 raises a household risk of food insecurity from to . Households of lone parents , in particular , experience much higher rates of food insecurity . In fact , of male households and an astounding of female households experience food Having children means . Mitchell 2020 . 2021 . This included participation by all provinces and territories but excluded some groups like people living on First Nations reserves , in prisons or in care ties . Mitchell 2020 Silva 2020 . Mitchell 2020 . MARY ANNE MARTIN AND MICHAEL 275

both added expenses and more challenges in maintaining stable and employment . Furthermore , raising children on ones own typically means that there is no additional adult to earn an income for a household . And women are much more likely to earn less than men and to assume primary roles for Overall , parenting status , partner status , and gender all affect food insecurity . That is , who you are , who you live with , and who you care for all affect whether your food needs will be met . The individualized assumption that every person should be able to earn enough money to buy all the food that they need does not consider the relationships and social structures of inequality that affect their lives . Food Insecurity by Household Type in Canada ( Food Insecurity Rate I IV ( 18 18 ( households parent households Household Type Figure Food Insecurity by Household Type ( adapted from Mitchell , 2020 ) HOUSEHOLD , AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE The right to food itself is critical for , but not the same as , the right to eat . Indeed , a package of rice or dried beans is not . Patterson 2019 Canada 2018 . 276 HOUSEHOLD

consumable . What often gets lost in thinking about food access is the essential labour required to literally put food on the table . Food itself generally needs to be transformed through the use of physical resources ( tools and energy sources for ing ) and the labour of acquiring , preparing , and serving the food in ways that meet eaters needs . Since human survival and being utterly depend on food , they utterly depend on the work , within or outside the home , that makes food edible . Given people varying skills , capacities , and circumstances , it is rare for any person to be completely in producing , ing , and preparing all the food that they require . The start of the COVID pandemic shone a harsh light on the essentiality of household as expectations for it grew . Household , primarily women , faced increased as children required more meals at home , elementary and high school students could no longer access food from programs at school , some supermarket shelves emptied , and all public places , including those selling or donating food , were seen as sites of potential COVID exposure . extended to infecting groceries , waiting in lines outside grocery stores , and generally reconciling household food needs with the related risks and regulations pertaining to acquiring food . This work has been crucial for ensuring that people remain alive and healthy . HOUSEHOLD SOME PLATES ARE FULLER THAN OTHERS Despite how necessary it is , household can not be from a political context in which power , money , food access , and effort are unequally distributed . Social structures of inequity , such as sexism , racism , and poverty , combine so that both the efforts required and the resources available for household are unevenly assigned . For example , even MARY ANNE MARTIN AND MICHAEL 277

11 with significant increases in women working in paid and men doing domestic worl Women continue to form the bulk of However , except for some mothers ability to breastfeed , actual abilities are not limited to just women . This discrepancy means that mothers in particular , especially those with low incomes , face difficult choices between providing care for their children and participating in paid employment to afford to feed them . poverty and food system labour interfere with food access and the opportunity for adults to be physically present and able to feed their own families . Food is persistently kept out of reach for the of Indigenous and of Black individuals who live in food insecure workers disproportionately fill , precarious jobs in food retail while their employers post huge , a long history continues in which migrant women of colour support their own families in their home countries by providing household and other caring labour in the homes of North American , mostly White , Similarly , primarily ) male migrant agricultural labourers work in . From 1976 to 2015 , the employment rate for women ( 25 to 54 years ) rose from to . et al . 2017 . Canada 2018 . 10 . et al . 2008 A study conducted by Statistics Canada among parents found that fathers preparing meals rose from 29 in 1986 to 59 in 2015 and that mothers preparing meals remained high but dropped somewhat during this time from 86 to 81 . et al . 2017 A study of couples living in the same household found that meal preparation was done more often by women ( 56 ) but that dishwashing was done equally by men and women . Statistics Canada 2020 These studies do not consider the full ment of involved in feeding a household . Mitchell 2020 . 12 . 13 . Block 2020 Moon 2020 . 2006 . 278 HOUSEHOLD

paid , insecure , and unsafe conditions to feed Canadians , in order to financially support the vital needs of their own families back in their home countries . In addition to these barriers to having the privilege to do household for ones own family , can also be impeded by difficulty in having access to culturally specific foods , stigma around the consumption of tain foods , and a lack of understanding by health and teaching professionals regarding the appropriateness of particular foods and food practices . AS Sociologist Mignon Duffy states We should be able to value without reducing care to the warm and 14 The ways in which household concrete physical and its fuzzier emotional and social dimensions intertwine make it hard to perceive its value . Connecting with loved ones by understanding and responding to their food needs places hold activities within social relationships . Here , these activities transform into caring labour , a medium for expressing love , affection , creativity , playfulness , and also a source of judgement , guilt , shame , frustration , and anxiety . The breadth of these emotions relates in part to the dual meaning of The word can simultaneously act as both a verb and an adjective , both an action and a personality that the work of fuses with the emotion of caring about and the state of being a caring The result is that work that comes from the heart ( or that is expected to ) is easily exploitable and not fully regarded as work . It holds a contradictory position where it is necessary and demanded , but not fully seen or valued . This of care operates so effectively that it blocks questions about Whether those responsible for should 14 . Duffy 2011 , 40 . 15 . See 1991 et al . 2004 . MARY ANNE MARTIN AND MICHAEL 279

even be supported in doing those with limited resources having to fend for themselves . WHAT HAPPENS WHEN RESOURCES ARE NOT ADEQUATE TO MEET NEEDS Because food is treated as a commodity , people without money to pay for it must be resourceful in finding ways to access it . The mother who drew the dollar signs and cupboards and fridge in Figure explained that money is the main reason that she can not gain access to enough food for her Insufficient incomes increase in many ways walking long distances for groceries determining how to make meals from food bank offerings calculating how to stretch an inadequate budget and helping children feel valued when special foods are not affordable . A significant portion of the of marginalized women involves acting as shock absorbers 17 to bridge gaps between household food needs and available resources . 16 . Martin et al . 2021 . 17 . 2005 , 24 . 280 HOUSEHOLD

Figure A mother illustration of food in her household during the COVID pandemic . MARY ANNE MARTIN AND MICHAEL 281 Figure A mother response to What does a week of food look like in your home ?

As an example , a mother drawing in Figure many of her experiences regarding food in her With the ball , she shows the delicate act of balancing considerations around healthy food , of food , other costs ( like ing ) social isolation , and time demands . At the same time , she recognizes that it is not entirely her responsibility to reconcile these issues and that policy makers ( at the institution ) play a role in allocating money for necessary resources . When household resources are limited , women often assume added responsibility to make ends meet by using their own resourcefulness . This is shown as they stretch food by using sales and coupons , using less expensive ingredients , growing or preserving their own food , and going 18 . Martin 2018 . 282 HOUSEHOLD

without food themselves . Women also try to free up more funds for food through juggling other expenses , reducing medication consumption , and putting off expenditures like new clothes or haircuts . They participate in informal economic activities such as bartering , engaging in odd jobs , and selling personal items . This bridging between resources and need also occurs through risky , punishable , and demeaning behaviour , such as asking friends and family for help , applying to social assistance programs , ing food banks , engaging in adult entertainment or sex work , and participating in dishonest or criminal These kinds of attempts to bridge household food needs with the resources for them clearly demonstrate the cost to women that results from having to figure it The sense that people are on their own in meeting their basic needs and those of their loved ones a form of individualism . BEYOND THE OF HOUSEHOLD NO EATER IS AN ISLAND Although household is necessary for human being and for all the activities we do in the world , the and resources for this work are not distributed evenly . Women continue to take on the brunt of this labour , while many people who work within the industrial food system , especially women and people who are , are prevented from directly or adequately feeding their own families . Food access is far from assured , even in rich countries . For example , despite Canada repeated commitments , food insecurity is a growing crisis , especially affecting those who are Indigenous , Black , or parenting children . For some , making tenable comes at a distinct cost , which is often paid by women . out , we see how care is and how responsibility rests heavily on individuals to make it Moving forward 19 . Martin 2018 , et al . 2012 . MARY ANNE MARTIN AND MICHAEL 283

towards a fairer food system that values what is essential means addressing an on the individual . MAKING THE NORMAL ABNORMAL An important first step in imagining alternatives for ensuring that people can eat what they need is to rethink or assumptions . It is important to question , for example Why are food prices and incomes so incompatible that they make food inaccessible for many people ?

Are the poverty and food of single mothers , Indigenous people , and ple unchangeable ?

What is the role of the state , if not to ensure its people ?

Moving towards more equitable futures requires questioning current realities . Where is interdependence working ?

The dominant food system sees people as detached from one another and privileges the choices of of supporting projects that redefine food as being for the collective use and enjoyment of all . Beyond questioning the status quo , it is important to look for existing examples of better alternatives and to discover those places where people Work collectively and interdependently . Food , community kitchens , hood ) exchanges , and community gardens are some of those places . No eater is an island Food systems are utterly dependent on human and actors ( animals , water , trees ) To ensure that everyone can eat sufficiently requires questioning who really depends on whom , and embracing the reciprocity and of all actors ( human and ) in the food See . 2006 . 284 HOUSEHOLD

tem . It means thinking about the people , animals , Waters , and plants that all played a role in food reaching our plates . Working on our relationship with the state The state has an important role to play in ensuring that people can eat . Policies around income , agriculture , land planning , and even housing and childcare whether people can access the food that they need . Within the food system , it is important to see ourselves not just as consumers . We also need to see ourselves as citizens with both the right to food and the responsibility to hold the state accountable for ensuring it . This can mean ing ourselves , voting , contacting elected officials , and educating others about the policies that are necessary . Discussion questions What are some ways in which food access and household are related ?

Does it matter who does the dishes ?

Why or why not ?

What are some examples of exploiting , externalizing , or the resources and labour that support the global industrial food tem ?

What kinds of policies , programs , initiatives , or practices might support household ?

Exercise MARY ANNE MARTIN AND MICHAEL 285 Think about a time when you had to be responsible for your own meal ( How does that compare with times when you were part of a collective food experience ?

What was or was not possible in each situation ?

With a partner , share your experiences and discuss similarities and differences . Identify some of the key factors that shaped what was or was not possible in each situation . Additional Resources Martin , MA . 2018 ) Moms feeding families on low incomes in and the support of food . Basic Income Network . 2021 ) The Case for Basic Income Series Two cases here are particularly relevant to this text The Basic Income for Food Security and The Case for Basic Income for Women . Mitchell , A . 2020 ) Household food insecurity in Canada , Research to identify policy options to reduce food insecurity PROOF ) Waring , 1999 ) nothing What men value and what women are worth ( and Buffalo University of Press . References , 2006 . Whose Social Reproduction ?

Transnational Motherhood and Challenges to Feminist Political Economy . In Social Reproduction , Edited by Meg and Kate , 286 HOUSEHOLD . Montreal and Kingston University Press . and . 2005 . Negotiating Citizenship Migrant Women in Canada and the Global System . University of Press . Chapman , Sylva , and . 2008 . Its just Easier for Me to Do It Rationalizing the Family sion of Sociology 42 ( Block , and . 2020 . Its Time to Frontline Behind the Numbers , March 31 , 2020 . 1991 . Feeding the Family The Social Organization of Caring as Work . Chicago University of Chicago Press . Duffy , 201 . Making Care Count A Century of Gender , Race , and Paid Care Work . Rutgers University Press . Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( 2021 . The Right to Food around the , 2006 . The End of Capitalism ( As We Knew It ) A Feminist Critique of Political Economy . of Minnesota Press . and . 2017 . Changes in Parents Participation in Domestic Tasks and Care for Children from 1986 to 2015 , Statistics Canada . and . 2006 . Victual Vicissitudes Consumer and the ( Transformation of Food Agriculture and Human Values , 23 MARY ANNE MARTIN AND MICHAEL 287

Martin , 2018 . At Least I Can Feel Like I ve Done My job As a Mom Mothers on Low Incomes , Household Food Work , and Community Food Initiatives , dissertation . Trent . Martin , 2018 . Moms Feeding Families on Low Incomes in and the Support of Food Martin , and . 2021 . From Crisis to Continuity A Response to Local Food Systems Challenges In , and Beyond the Days of , Trent , 2021 . Moon , 2018 . Supermarkets Are Making Huge Profits at a Time When Food Prices Are Rising and Canadians Are Suffering , Advocates Say , Standard , November 18 , 2020 . and . 2018 . Time Use Total Work Burden Unpaid Work , and Statistics Canada . Collins , and Porter . 2012 . Beyond Caring Labour to Provisioning Work . of Press . Baker Collins , and Porter . 2004 . Provisioning Thinking About all of Women Canadian Women Studies 23 ( Patterson . 2019 . The Gender Wage Gap in Canada 1998 to Statistics Canada . Riches , Buckingham , and . 2007 . Bringing Home the Right to Food in Canada Challenges and Possibilities for Achieving Food Public Health Nutrition 10 ( I 368980007246622567 288 HOUSEHOLD

Silva , 2020 . Food Insecurity In The . By The September 27 , 2020 , Statistics Canada . 2020 . Family Matters Sharing Housework among Couples in Canada Who Does What ?

February 19 , 2020 . and Mitchell . 2020 . Household food insecurity in Canada Research to identify policy options to reduce food insecurity ( PROOF ) Waring , 1999 . Counting for nothing What men value and what women are worth ( and Buffalo University of Press . MARY ANNE MARTIN AND MICHAEL 289