An Exploration of Dietary Practices Among South Indians in Brisbane, Australia
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An exploration of dietary practices among South Indians in Brisbane, Australia Preetha Thomas B.Sc. Nutrition, Food Service Management and Dietetics M.Sc. Foods and Nutrition M.Sc. Human Nutrition A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2016 School of Public Health ii Abstract Australia’s need for skilled workers in recent years has seen an exponential increase in the numbers of migrants from the South of India. Australia’s South Indian community is an example of migrants living in transnational diasporic spaces. Often well educated, many of these first-generation migrant families have lived in a number of other countries before settling down to life in Australian cities. The dietary practices of South Indians in Australia, have, however, been little researched, and neither has the question of new influences that shape dietary practices of transnational migrants been addressed. Research in other industrialised countries has shown that Indian migrants are predisposed to central obesity and related chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, drawing the attention of health professionals to the particular dietary practices of this community. In this thesis I describe dietary practices of South Indian Tamil and Malayali migrants living in Brisbane, Australia, along with an exploration of factors influencing these practices. I draw upon and broaden the theoretical concepts offered by outmoded dietary acculturation models of migrant dietary practices by introducing the additional influences conferred by distinctly contemporary patters related to the global movement of foods and peoples. I use a food-focused ethnography as a novel methodological innovation to obtain a previously unexplored culturally-informed account of dietary practices among South Indian families in Brisbane. Data were collected from twenty-one Tamil and Malayali families in Brisbane for this research. This study reveals the unique and complex web of interactions that influence the dietary practices of the South Indian community in Australia, framed by the dictates of religion, strong retention of traditional practices, nostalgia and community cohesiveness. The findings indicate that despite their multiple migration trajectories, on-going links to the ‘home’ country enable this group to remain connected to their places of origin in terms of food and place-making activities. For these first generation migrants, food choice is embedded in nostalgia, and this influences their choice more than health. While there are indications of a number of dietary practices being a direct result of the host country’s foodscape, this community’s food practices are shaped not just as a result of dietary acculturation, but are extended by their negotiations with contemporary issues such as iii globalisation and transnationalism. These negotiations assist in maintaining their cultural identity, which even though it is constantly evolving, remains strongly linked to their pre- migration selves in terms of culinary tradition and food practices, and keeping alive their sense of belonging to more than one cultural environment. This is facilitated by the social and financial status of members of this community which empowers them to utilise the foodscape available to them. This thesis highlights the importance of understanding and interpreting the meanings of food and health ascribed by the community in order to effectively promote healthy eating practices to culturally diverse communities within the contemporary Australian cultural and food landscapes. It offers a socioecological model to show the interplay between factors that have the potential to influence the dietary practices of contemporary, transnational migrant communities. This thesis will be of interest to healthcare professionals and researchers who work in the area of migrant dietary practice. It provides an understanding of dietary practices of South Indian migrants, useful for the development of culturally sensitive public-health nutrition policy and resources for this community in Australia. The implications of this research are important for public health, migrant and international health studies, and food studies. iv Declaration by author This thesis is composed of my original work, and contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text. I have clearly stated the contribution by others to jointly-authored works that I have included in my thesis. I have clearly stated the contribution of others to my thesis as a whole, including statistical assistance, survey design, data analysis, significant technical procedures, professional editorial advice, and any other original research work used or reported in my thesis. The content of my thesis is the result of work I have carried out since the commencement of my research higher degree candidature and does not include a substantial part of work that has been submitted to qualify for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution. I have clearly stated which parts of my thesis, if any, have been submitted to qualify for another award. I acknowledge that an electronic copy of my thesis must be lodged with the University Library and, subject to the policy and procedures of The University of Queensland, the thesis be made available for research and study in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968 unless a period of embargo has been approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. I acknowledge that copyright of all material contained in my thesis resides with the copyright holder(s) of that material. Where appropriate I have obtained copyright permission from the copyright holder to reproduce material in this thesis. v Publications during candidature Book chapters Thomas P., Schubert L., Whittaker A., Sébastia B. (2015). Food cultures and the diaspora: Kerala nurses in Brisbane. In M.J. Pires (Ed.) Tasting Cultures: Thoughts for Food (pp: 37- 49). Oxford, United Kingdom: Inter-Disciplinary Press. Thomas P., Schubert L., Whittaker A. & Sébastia B. (forthcoming 2016). “A little bit of rice, a little bit of fish curry”: food practices of Malayali nurses in Brisbane, Australia. In N. Namaste & M. Nadales (Eds.), Who Decides? Competing Narratives in Constructing Tastes, Consumption and Choice (pp 173-185). Oxford, United Kingdom: Inter- Disciplinary Press. Publications included in this thesis No publications have been included in this thesis vi Contributions by others to the thesis No contributions by others. Statement of parts of the thesis submitted to qualify for the award of another degree None vii Acknowledgements This work is the culmination of a nearly five year fascinating intellectual journey, one that has been enabled by a continuous open dialogue with my advisory team and the opportunity to engage with extraordinary academic literature. I wish to express sincere gratitude to my advisory team: Dr Lisa Schubert of the School of Public Health at The University of Queensland who has encouraged my critical thinking since the beginning of my professional association with her and her ongoing support throughout my PhD journey; Associate Professor Andrea Whittaker, Monash University, for her guidance on all things anthropological, and for being supportive and encouraging; and Dr Brigitte Sébastia of the French Institute of Pondicherry (India) for generously sharing her theoretical expertise, and her guidance and support throughout this period. Special thanks to my colleague and friend Dr Caroline Salom who has been an ongoing source of support. I would also like to thank fellow sojourners on the PhD journey: Shamsir Ahmed, Belen Zapata Diomedi and Jessica Bogard, for the gift of friendship and the lively discussions on the interdisciplinary nature of our work. This small, but solid circle of international friends gave me the emotional support during long days of work. I would also like to thank Scott McIntyre, Philip Lee and Fairlie McIlwraith for being generous with their time assisting with referencing and editorial matters. I express my gratitude to the School of Public Health at The University of Queensland for supporting my teaching activities, which gave me the financial and intellectual support to complete this work. I am very grateful to my interviewees who so generously gave their time to answer my questions and share their stories (and food) with me. And finally my family – my parents-in-law who encouraged me to begin this journey; my parents for encouraging me to keep going; my husband Pradip, without whose constant encouragement and scholarly critique I would not have completed this journey; my children Prianka and Nitin, who believed in their mum throughout; and Moss, who made sure I took the time to smell the roses on our walks - thank you. viii Keywords Dietary practices, South Indian, migrant, Tamil, Malayali, globalisation, transnationalism, culturally appropriate nutrition guidelines Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classifications (ANZSRC) ANZSRC code: 111104, Public Nutrition Intervention 80% ANZSRC code: 160104, Social and Cultural Anthropology, 20% Fields of Research (FoR) Classification FoR code: 1117, Public Health and Health Services, 80% FoR code: 1601, Anthropology 20% ix Table of contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................. iii Declaration by author ..............................................................................................................