The Relationship Between Social Networks, Exchange and Kids
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University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 11-20-2015 The Relationship between Social Networks, Exchange and Kids’ Food in Children’s Peer Culture Stephanie Tillman Melton University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Scholar Commons Citation Melton, Stephanie Tillman, "The Relationship between Social Networks, Exchange and Kids’ Food in Children’s Peer Culture" (2015). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5991 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Relationship between Social Networks, Exchange and Kids’ Food in Children’s Peer Culture by Stephanie Tillman Melton A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Applied Anthropology with a Concentration in Bio-cultural Medical Anthropology College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: David Himmelgreen, Ph.D. Roberta Baer, Ph.D. Elizabeth Bird, Ph.D. Carol Bryant, Ph.D. Claudia Parvanta, Ph.D. Date of Approval: November 20, 2015 Keyword: children; friendship; kids’ food; afterschool programs; ethnography Copyright ©2015, Stephanie T. Melton DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my family and friends who have believed in me. To Josh, for all of your support and patience. Thank you for not giving up on me. To Vivienne, my daily inspiration to be better and make you proud. To Lance, for telling me that I could do and be anything, and for showing me wonderlust in life. To June, for teaching me by example what hard work and determination can accomplish. To Maxine, for sharing your spirit with me and for being an anthropologist at heart. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. David Himmelgreen for his support and enthusiasm for this research. I could not have succeeded without your encouragement. I would like to acknowledge Dr. Carol Bryant for your encouragement and brilliant suggestions. Dr. Claudia Parvanta, you have been incredibly positive and have gone above and beyond to help me. Dr. Liz Bird, thank you for your calm presence and for encouraging me to use visual methods in the study. Dr. Bobbie Baer, you have challenged me to think bigger and have made me a better anthropologists. To the Tampa Metro YMCA and the staff and students who opened their doors to me, and allowed me to join their fun. I must recognize how my professional path has been shaped by Dr. Susan Pappas. Your excitement about anthropology sparked a curiosity in me that has grown. Dr. Nicole Johnson, you have been a tremendous research partner and friend, thank you. I am inspired by your example. To the USF Anthropology Department, the USF Healthy Sustainable Communities Initiative, thank you for the opportunities and support. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................ v List of Figures .......................................................................................................................................... vi Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. vii Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 The Study’s Aims ............................................................................................................................ 4 Definition of Terms.......................................................................................................................... 5 Outline of Chapters .......................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter Two: Literature Review................................................................................................................... 8 Anthropological Contributions to the Study of Children and Child Development .......................... 9 Historical Context of Childhood ....................................................................................... 10 Age Grading and Cognitive Developmental Theory ........................................................ 13 The Middle Stage of Childhood ……… ....……………………………………………………….14 Peer Groups ……………………………………………… .. ……………………………18 Children’s Peer Culture ………………………………………………… ...... …………..19 Peer Enculturation ………………………………………………… ... ………………….21 Children’s Identity Formation ……………… ... …………………………………………………22 Gender Identity and Gender Segregation ………………………………………… ....... ..22 Peer Culture and Identity .... ……………………………………………………………..23 Activities and Spaces of Childhood ……… ... …………………………………………………...25 Children’s Play …………………………………………… ... …………………………..25 The School ……………………………………… ... ……………………………………28 The Afterschool Program ………………………………………………….…… ... …….29 Factors Influencing Children’s Food Consumption …………………………………… ....... …...31 The Symbolic Meaning of Food ………… ... …………………………………………...31 Food Exchange ……………………… …………………………………………………..33 Children’s Food Consumption …………………… ................ …………………………………..34 The Physiological Taste Preference of Young Children …… ................. ……………….34 Feeding Patterns of Young Children ……… ............. …………………………………...35 Parental Influence on Children’s Diets ……… ............ …………………………………35 School and Media Influence on Children’s Food Consumption … ............ ……………..40 Children’s Consumption of Snack Foods in Afterschool Programs … ............ …………41 Peer Influence on Children’s Food Consumption … ............ ……………………………42 The Role of Food in Peer Groups ……… ............ ………………………………………43 Children’s Perceptions and Consumption of Healthy Foods …… ............ ……………...45 Kids’ Food …… ............. ………………………………………………………………...46 Summation ………………………………… ......................... …………………………………...48 i Chapter Three: Research Design and Methodology… ............................. ………………………………..49 The Development of the Research Questions ………………………………… ... ………………49 Methodological Considerations for Research on Children …… ....... ……………………………50 Ethnographic Methods Used to Study With Children …………………………… ....... ...51 Group Interviews ……………………………………………… .... ……………………..53 Participatory and Task-centered Methods ……………………………………… ........ …54 Projective Techniques and Photography …………………………………… ....... ……...54 Children’s “Voices” ………………………………… ... ………………………………………...56 Ethical and Legal Considerations of Conducting Research with Children …… ........................... 58 Children’s Autonomy and Consent/Assent …………………………… ....... …………...58 Research Design and Methodology of Exploratory Study ……… .... ……………………………59 Research Methods of the Ethnographic Study ……………………… ....... ……………………...64 Descriptions of Research Setting ………………………………………… .... ………….65 The YMCA Afterschool Care Model ………………………………… .... ……………...66 The Organizational Structure of YMCA Afterschool …………………………… ....... ...67 A Comparison of the Research Sites …………….... ……………………………………68 Soto Site ………………… .............……………………………………………………...69 Middlewood Site ………… ............ ……………………………………………………..71 Entry into the Field sites ………………………………………………… ... …………...73 Introductions at the Sites ………… ............ ……………………………………………..74 The Researcher’s Role ……………… ............ ………………………………………….78 Limitations of Ethnographic Research with Children ………………………… ........ …………...82 Summation ………………………………………… ... ………………………………………….84 Chapter Four: Children’s Social Experiences… ........................... ……………………………………..…85 Findings of Exploratory Phase of Study …………………………………………………… ... …86 Healthy Foods vs. Junk Foods in Freelisting and Photo Elicitation …………… ....... ….86 Discussions of Healthy vs. Unhealthy Foods ……………………………… .... ………...89 Findings of Fieldwork ………………………………… ... ………………………………………91 Social Organization within Afterschool Programs ……………………………… ...... …91 Age Grading ……………………………… ... …………………………………………..92 Privileges of Age ... ……………………………………………………………………...92 Gender Segregation .... …………………………………………………………………...96 Differences in play between girls and boys …… ............ ……………………………….97 Perceptions of the other Gender ……………… ............ ……………………………….104 Conflicts between Boys and Girls …… ............. ……………………………………….106 Cross-Gender Interaction ……… ............ ……………………………………………...108 Gender and Body Image …… ............ …………………………………………………108 Gender and Video Games …… ............ ………………………………………………..110 Anticipating Growing Up … ............ …………………………………………………..112 The Social Hierarchy within Peer Groups ………………………………… ...... ……...115 Aspects of Popularity ………………………………………………… ... ……………..117 Coolness ………… ............. …………………………………………………………….118 Toughness ………… ............. …………………………………………………………..119 Fitting In, or Not ………………… ............ ……………………………………………120 Social Networks of Children and Cliques ……………………… ...... …………………122 Making Friends ……………………… ... ……………………………………………...127 Social Currency ………………………………………… ... …………………………...128 Kid Food in Afterschool Settings ………………... ……………………………………130