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Food Insecurity, Social Inequality, and Social Policy University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2016 Food Insecurity, Social Inequality, and Social Policy Sara Strickhouser University of Central Florida Part of the Sociology Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Strickhouser, Sara, "Food Insecurity, Social Inequality, and Social Policy" (2016). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 4942. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4942 FOOD INSECURITY, SOCIAL INEQUALITY, AND SOCIAL POLICY by SARA STRICKHOUSER B.A. Stetson University, 2008 M.A. University of Central Florida, 2013 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Sociology in the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Spring Term 2016 Major Professor: James D. Wright © 2016 Sara M. Strickhouser ii ABSTRACT Research shows that food insecurity rates and experiences vary by subpopulation. This dissertation examines the rates and experience of food insecurity across subpopulations using a wide variety of sociodemographic factors, thus expanding the current research on social determinants of food insecurity. Subtopics surrounding the current food insecurity research are also explored. These topics include determinants of food deserts, SNAP (or food stamps) utilization, and household adaptation strategies. This research shows that current measurements of food insecurity lack the detail needed to understand why households are food insecure besides lacking income. Using Bourdieu’s four forms of capital, this study considers factors beyond income to understand the determinants of food insecurity. Quantitative analyses utilize nationally representative data from the 2013 Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement, as well as representative food security data collected for Orange County, FL and state of Florida. Qualitative interviews were conducted to examine adaptation strategies of households with children. This research finds that a number of determinants besides income contribute to household food insecurity and encourages policymakers to move beyond income as the major determinant of food insecurity and consider other household and demographic characteristics as equally important to understanding the problem of food insecurity in the US today. iii Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my parents, Charles and Rhonda Strickhouser. Throughout my life, I have yet to come across people as generous and thoughtful as you both. I hope I have as much patience, understanding, and good advice to impart on my children as you did to me. Thank you for your never ending positive attitudes and support for all of the decisions I have made along the way, no matter how crazy they were. I would never have made it this far without you two. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to my coauthor, mentor, and friend, Dr. Jim Wright, for your invaluable guidance over the years. I do not think anyone could have made grad school as fun and exciting as you did. I am forever indebted to you for the wealth of knowledge and tricks of the trade you have imparted upon me, all the while maintaining nothing but patience along the way. I will miss the crazy work days and intriguing discussions. Thank you to my committee, Dr. Melanie Hinojosa, Dr. Ray Hinojosa, Dr. Thomas Bryer and Dr. Amy Donley for your feedback and guidance through the dissertation process. Melanie and Ray, thank you for your intriguing courses and helpful advice. Thank you to my husband-to-be, Jorge Vega, for your inexhaustible faith in my every endeavor and the unconditional love you show me every day; but mostly, thank you for putting up with me through this entire process. And thank you to my sister and brother, Amy Meridith and Charles Strickhouser, who have made it all so fun. To my cohort and classmates, in particular, Alyssa Mullins, without whom I would have never made it through the theory comp, and Jenny Nguyen, without whom I would have never taken a vacation. Finally, a very special thank you must go to Traci Milbuta. The number of hours you have listened to me gripe and the number of questions I have asked you throughout my five years are immeasurable. I know I will never be able to repay you for the guidance, encouragement, and laughs that have gotten me where I am today. I will miss our daily conversations immensely. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... xii LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 Theoretical Background .............................................................................................................. 6 Karl Marx and Conflict Theory .............................................................................................. 8 Bourdieu and Food Security ................................................................................................. 12 CHAPTER TWO: DATA, METHODS, AND MEASUREMENT.............................................. 17 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 17 Methods..................................................................................................................................... 17 Quantitative Approach: Survey data ..................................................................................... 17 Data Analysis of Quantitative Data ...................................................................................... 18 Common Independent and Control Variables for Quantitative Analysis ............................. 18 Qualitative Data: In-depth Interviews ................................................................................... 19 Measuring Food Security ...................................................................................................... 20 Datasets ................................................................................................................................. 26 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 27 CHAPTER THREE: EXTENT AND CORRELATES OF FOOD INSECURITY IN THE US TODAY......................................................................................................................................... 29 vi Methods..................................................................................................................................... 30 Data ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Variables ............................................................................................................................... 31 Sample................................................................................................................................... 32 Results: Univariate Analyses .................................................................................................... 34 Stratified Sample Characteristics .......................................................................................... 34 Food Insecurity Rates ........................................................................................................... 34 Food Insecurity Rates among Households with Children..................................................... 39 Food Expenditures ................................................................................................................ 41 Coping Strategies of the Food Insecure ................................................................................ 45 Program Participation Rates ................................................................................................. 45 Food Expenditure Patterns among Food Insecure Households with Children ..................... 46 Coping Strategies among Food Insecure Households with Children ................................... 49 Program Participation Rates among Households with Children........................................... 49 Food Insecurity Rates among Disabled Households ............................................................ 50 Results: Bivariate Analysis ....................................................................................................... 52 Results: Multivariate Analysis .................................................................................................. 52 Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 60 Multivariate Discussion ............................................................................................................ 62 vii A Brief Discussion of Chronic versus Episodic Food Insecurity ............................................
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