Masterarbeit
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MASTERARBEIT Titel der Masterarbeit Conspicuous Waste: The Practice of Communal Kitchen and Dumpster Diving in the Context of Freegan Lifestyle and Identities in Vienna Verfasserin Sibylle Eberhard, B.A. angestrebter akademischer Grad Master of Arts (M.A.) Wien, 2011 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt: A 066 656 Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt: Kultur und Sozialanthropologie Betreuerin: Mag. Dr. Maria Dabringer Unser täglich Brot gib uns heute Give us today our daily bread [Matthew 6:11] Figure 1: Christian maxim embroidered in a picture from my parent’s kitchen, made 1978 in Transylvania, Romania (© Eberhard 2011) 2 Acknowledgements This work is dedicated to my family, friends and all the people in the field, who shared their knowledge and life experiences with me. Their patience, interest and support helped me to finish up my thesis. I want to thank my dearest friends and „sisters‟ Anja, Katja and Irina; Alex, Brigitte and Katharina, Kristina and Manu and my numerous roommates during the last turbulent years, who inspired and encouraged me to keep the work going. My thanks also go to all Irish friends, colleagues and lecturers at the National University of Maynooth, Jamie Saris, Lawrence Taylor, Chandana Mathur, Patty Gray, Steve Coleman and my supervisor Pauline Garvey for her interest, advice and encouragement. Their kindness, humor and sympathy helped me through a very challenging year and experience. I also wish to thank my colleagues Mag. Alexandra Enzi, Mag. Anita Dall, Mag. Andreas Raab, Heinz Rotte, Alisha Scott, Dr. Irene Zavarsky and Executive Director Dr. Lonnie Johnson at the Fulbright Commission for their interest in my academic path. They taught me new perspectives and practical knowledge through their expertise, guidance and useful advices. Last, but not least I am very grateful to my student colleagues, lecturers and professors at the University of Vienna, for the inspiring years of studies, their knowledge, passion and endurance. My warmest thanks go to my supervisor Dr. Maria Dabringer for her great support, advice and patience; and finally to Dr. Irmgard Andritsch-Kretz for her emotional and mental support. 3 Contents 1 INTRODUCING FOOD AND DUMPSTER DIVING ................................................. 6 2 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 12 3 THE MATERIAL CULTURE, ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY AND CONSUMPTION OF WASTE AND FOOD ............................................................... 16 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 16 3.2 The Material Culture of Waste ................................................................................................................. 18 3.2.1 Definition of Waste ................................................................................................................................. 18 3.2.2 Development and History of Waste ........................................................................................................ 19 3.2.3 Social and Cultural Theories of Waste ..................................................................................................... 24 3.3 Economic Anthropology and the Organization of Waste .......................................................................... 30 3.3.1 Theories on Value, Surplus and Affluence ............................................................................................... 31 3.3.2 Economic Activities: One-way Transfers and Informal Provisioning ....................................................... 33 3.3.3 Informal, Community and Market Economies ........................................................................................ 34 3.3.4 The Organization of Waste in Cities ............................................................................................................ 35 3.3.5 The Organization of Waste in Austria...................................................................................................... 38 3.4 The Consumption of Food ........................................................................................................................ 42 3.4.1 Studies of Food ........................................................................................................................................ 44 3.4.2 The Importance of Places, Spaces and Foodscapes ................................................................................ 45 3.4.3 Identity, Lifestyle and Everyday Life ........................................................................................................ 47 3.4.4 Agency, Politics and Ethics ...................................................................................................................... 49 3.4.5 Ways of Food Provisioning: Shopping versus Dumpster Diving? ............................................................ 51 3.4.6 The Making of Food Waste...................................................................................................................... 55 4 FREEGAN LIFESTYLES AND IDENTITIES ......................................................... 57 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 57 4.2 Veganism .................................................................................................................................................. 58 4.2.1 Definition and Forms of Veganism .......................................................................................................... 58 4.2.2 Ethical Motives and Meanings for Veganism .......................................................................................... 59 4.3 Freeganism ............................................................................................................................................... 60 4.3.1 Definitions of Freeganism ....................................................................................................................... 61 4.3.2 The International Movement of Freeganism .......................................................................................... 64 4 4.4 The Public Kitchen .................................................................................................................................... 68 4.4.1 From Soup Kitchen to People’s Kitchen and Food Banks ........................................................................ 68 4.4.2 People’s Kitchens as Places of Social Innovation and Change ................................................................. 70 4.4.3 Communal Kitchens in Vienna ................................................................................................................. 74 4.5 Case Study: A Club’s Communal Kitchen ................................................................................................... 76 4.5.1 The Club’s Ideology ................................................................................................................................. 76 4.5.1 Stories and Backgrounds ......................................................................................................................... 77 4.5.2 ‘The Kitchen’ ............................................................................................................................................ 80 4.5.3 Cooking of Vegan Meals .......................................................................................................................... 81 4.5.4 Communal Kitchen Members (and Active Dumpster Divers) .................................................................. 83 4.6 Case Study: The Practice of Dumpster Diving ........................................................................................... 96 4.6.1 Background Information on Dumpster Diving......................................................................................... 96 4.6.2 Dumpster Diving Foodscapes .................................................................................................................. 98 4.6.3 Shared Technologies and Resources ..................................................................................................... 100 4.5.4 The Process of Recovering Food Waste or Value .................................................................................. 102 5 CONCLUDING ON INCONSPICUOUS WAYS ON CONSUMING FOOD .......... 109 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 113 Bibliographic and Online Sources: ................................................................................................................ 113 Other Sources: ............................................................................................................................................. 127 List of Interviews ............................................................................................................................................ 127 Field notes ...................................................................................................................................................... 128 List of Figures: .............................................................................................................................................. 129 ABSTRACT: ..........................................................................................................