Literature Review 2

A literature review on an ethnographic case study in a UK school, exploring
the sociology of the food environment
Gurpinder Lalli
University of Leicester

Abstract
This literature review provides an insight into some of the key findings from an investigation
carried out for a PhD thesis, to explore the impact of the food environment and the potential of
the school dining hall (known as the “restaurant”) as a place which may support learning
opportunities, specifically learning how to behave appropriately and exercise etiquette in sharing
food, at a school that was called the Peartree Academy. A broader focus of the study involved
exploring the social and cultural practices that shape the interactions in the school dining hall.
This paper is divided into two sections: the ‘History of English School Meal’ and ‘Social Skills
Development’. After an introduction to the overall study, the historical context of school meals
in the UK is developed, followed by a synthesis of findings from a broad range of literature
discussing the school food environment in the context of the school dining hall and highlighting
the importance of staff presence and parental participation.

Keywords: School Restaurant; Food Environment; Role Models; Social Skills; Ethnography

5Lalli2014Dec

CC-BY-NC-ND

Advertisement