Les midis-séminaires: Foodways of the gentrified, North and South

For the third lunchtime seminar of the session, Aaron Vansintjan presents " Foodways of the gentrified, North and South ".

How does gentrification affect people differently around the world, and how do they respond? Food is material and cultural, global and local, and can be a useful lens to compare how gentrification affects the lives of urban poor across North/South divisions. Using a 'foodways of the urban poor' framework, this research project investigated the ways by which people's access to food, daily strategies, and use of environmental resources were affected by and mobilized against the gentrification process. Through participatory observation and photography, we compared the foodways of residents in two gentrifying neighborhoods in Hanoi, Vietnam and Montreal, Canada. Food was a key way by which residents created social connections, value, and meaning—which were then eroded, commodified, and made inaccessible through the gentrification process. As the study of gentrification globalizes, and as researchers see the need to break down North/South theoretical hierarchies and engage in comparative urban research, food can be a useful way to compare the effects of urban developments and ground urban theory in the everyday lives of urban residents.

Bring your lunch and join the discussion on Thursday, March 29th, at room 3073 of the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Montreal, starting at noon. Arrive early, places are limited!

The seminar will be given in English.