Mjölk - en kulturanalys av mejeridiskens nya ekonomi
Jönsson, Håkan LU
(2005)
- Abstract
- This dissertation is to be regarded as a contribution to the discussion about a "cultural economy". The aim of the study is to gain a perspective as to how a new economy can be shaped and take its place in everyday life, as well as identify the cultural values and ideas created in the process, by analysing the production and consumption of dairy products. Theoretical inspiration is derived from studies of material culture and food consumption. The empirical material consists of dairy counters and the products sold, which are analysed with a commodity chain approach methodology. The introducing chapter give a historical background by examining the role milk got in the emerging new economy of the late nineteenth century. Special attention is... (More)
- This dissertation is to be regarded as a contribution to the discussion about a "cultural economy". The aim of the study is to gain a perspective as to how a new economy can be shaped and take its place in everyday life, as well as identify the cultural values and ideas created in the process, by analysing the production and consumption of dairy products. Theoretical inspiration is derived from studies of material culture and food consumption. The empirical material consists of dairy counters and the products sold, which are analysed with a commodity chain approach methodology. The introducing chapter give a historical background by examining the role milk got in the emerging new economy of the late nineteenth century. Special attention is given to how the cooperative Scandinavian dairy industry got significant political influence in the early twentieth century. Milk appears to have been significant in that it could be attributed with qualities that characterised the narrative of modern progress. The special position of the cooperative dairy companies, as well as the reputation of their products as being particularly healthy, have been challenged during the last decades. By four case studies of products that are said to be transnational, old-fashioned/natural, healthy and fast/light, the author examines how the dairy industry responds to these challenges. The production of such "value-added products" can be seen as a part of a general conversion to an experience economy, but it is suggested that it can just as well be that the economy is increasingly bent on trying to capture experiences that have always been conveyed via food. Food has the capacity to activate and stimulate all the senses, transforming the experience from a visual impression into something that is felt, heard, tasted and smelled. Similar to that of the late 1800s, today's dairy production is characterised by new forms of production, distribution and consumption. The special consumption position that milk now holds has developed from the fact that it has shown that it can be used for many different things: sensual pleasure, an expression of the adult desire to take care of children, health considerations and a number of different political standpoints. It also works as a condensate of the context in which it was created. Through milk, war-time Swedes discovered what was wholesome, pure and Swedish. Thanks to this recurring learning process, these ideas became durable. The changes that are described mean that we now learn something different from milk than we did seventy years ago. Milk has been packed and repacked with differing interpretations of natural, wholesome, quick, light and much more, but milk as both foodstuff and raw material will continue to influence all those of us who consume it and allow it to become a part of our body. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Denna avhandling skall främst ses som ett bidrag till diskussionen om en framväxande ny "kulturaliserad" ekonomi. Avhandlingens syfte är att genom att analysera produktion och konsumtion av mejerivaror följa hur en ny ekonomi formas och tar plats i vardagen samt se vilka kulturella värderingar och föreställningar som skapas i denna process. Den teroetiska inspirationen hämtas från matforskning och materialitetsforskning. Det empiriska materialet består av mejeridiskar i Öresundsregionen och de produkter som där saluförs, vilka analyseras med en "commodity chain approach". Det inledande empiriska kapitlet ger en historisk bakgrund genom att undersöka den roll mjölkprodukter fick i den framväxande... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Denna avhandling skall främst ses som ett bidrag till diskussionen om en framväxande ny "kulturaliserad" ekonomi. Avhandlingens syfte är att genom att analysera produktion och konsumtion av mejerivaror följa hur en ny ekonomi formas och tar plats i vardagen samt se vilka kulturella värderingar och föreställningar som skapas i denna process. Den teroetiska inspirationen hämtas från matforskning och materialitetsforskning. Det empiriska materialet består av mejeridiskar i Öresundsregionen och de produkter som där saluförs, vilka analyseras med en "commodity chain approach". Det inledande empiriska kapitlet ger en historisk bakgrund genom att undersöka den roll mjölkprodukter fick i den framväxande nya ekonomin mot slutet av 1800-talet. Särskilt intresse riktas mot hur de kooperativa skandinaviska fick stort politiskt inflytande i början av 1900-talet. Mjölken betydelse förklaras där av att den kunde kopplas samman med egenskaper som kännetecknade den moderna framstegstanken. Den speciella position mejeriföretagen då fick, liksom dess rykte att producera hälsosamma produkter, har ifrågasatts under de senaste decennierna. Genom fyra fallstudier av produkter som påstås vara transnationella, gammaldags/naturliga, hälsosamma och snabba/lätta undersöker författaren hur mejeriindustrin försöker bemöta de nya utmaningarna. Produktionen av dessa "mervärdesprodukter", kan ses som en del av en generell omställning till en upplevelseekonomi, men det föreslås att det också går att se utvecklingen som att ekonomin alltmer riktar in sig på att försöka fånga upplevelser som alltid förmedlats via mat. Mat har en förmåga att skänka materialitet åt en upplevelse och ta den från att vara ett synintryck till att bli något som känns, hörs, smakar och luktar. Liksom det sena 1800-talets mjölkproduktion präglas dagens mejerinäring av nya former för produktion, distribution och konsumtion som i grunden förändrat mejeriernas sätt att fungera. Den speciella position i konsumtionen som mjölken har kommit att få bygger på att den visat sig kunna användas till så mycket. Den kan ge sinnlig njutning. Den kan vara ett uttryck för vuxnas vilja att ta hand om barn. Den kan skapa en rädsla för att bli tjock eller en förhoppning om en god hälsa. Och den kan uttrycka en rad olika politiska ståndpunkter, från tron på ett starkt samhälle över ett miljöengagemang till ett hyllande av individens frihet och oberoende. Genom mjölken lärde sig mellankrigstidens svenskar vad som var sunt, rent, och svenskt. Tack vare denna återkommande läroprocess blev dessa föreställningar hållbara. De förändringar som skildras i avhandlingen gör att vi nu lär oss något annat genom att ta en klunk mjölk än för sjuttio år sedan. Mjölken har laddats och laddats om med olika tolkningar av vad som är naturligt, nyttigt, snabbt, lätt och mycket annat, men mjölk som födoämne och råvara kommer att fortsätta att påverka både vår vardag och våra kroppar. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/24992
- author
- Jönsson, Håkan
LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Docent Brembeck, Helene, Centrum för Konsumentvetenskap, Göteborgs universitet
- organization
- publishing date
- 2005
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- dairy, milk, food culture, new economy, cultural economy, material culture, consumption, functional foods, Cultural anthropology, Øresund, etnologi, Kulturantropologi, ethnology
- pages
- 231 pages
- publisher
- Brutus Östlings Bokförlag Symposion
- defense location
- Kulturens Auditorium Tegnérsplatsen Lund
- defense date
- 2005-04-29 10:15:00
- ISBN
- 91-7139-705-1
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 1b801729-de90-4ddc-961b-1de9e1a097ea (old id 24992)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 10:46:49
- date last changed
- 2020-05-01 02:18:35
@phdthesis{1b801729-de90-4ddc-961b-1de9e1a097ea,
abstract = {{This dissertation is to be regarded as a contribution to the discussion about a "cultural economy". The aim of the study is to gain a perspective as to how a new economy can be shaped and take its place in everyday life, as well as identify the cultural values and ideas created in the process, by analysing the production and consumption of dairy products. Theoretical inspiration is derived from studies of material culture and food consumption. The empirical material consists of dairy counters and the products sold, which are analysed with a commodity chain approach methodology. The introducing chapter give a historical background by examining the role milk got in the emerging new economy of the late nineteenth century. Special attention is given to how the cooperative Scandinavian dairy industry got significant political influence in the early twentieth century. Milk appears to have been significant in that it could be attributed with qualities that characterised the narrative of modern progress. The special position of the cooperative dairy companies, as well as the reputation of their products as being particularly healthy, have been challenged during the last decades. By four case studies of products that are said to be transnational, old-fashioned/natural, healthy and fast/light, the author examines how the dairy industry responds to these challenges. The production of such "value-added products" can be seen as a part of a general conversion to an experience economy, but it is suggested that it can just as well be that the economy is increasingly bent on trying to capture experiences that have always been conveyed via food. Food has the capacity to activate and stimulate all the senses, transforming the experience from a visual impression into something that is felt, heard, tasted and smelled. Similar to that of the late 1800s, today's dairy production is characterised by new forms of production, distribution and consumption. The special consumption position that milk now holds has developed from the fact that it has shown that it can be used for many different things: sensual pleasure, an expression of the adult desire to take care of children, health considerations and a number of different political standpoints. It also works as a condensate of the context in which it was created. Through milk, war-time Swedes discovered what was wholesome, pure and Swedish. Thanks to this recurring learning process, these ideas became durable. The changes that are described mean that we now learn something different from milk than we did seventy years ago. Milk has been packed and repacked with differing interpretations of natural, wholesome, quick, light and much more, but milk as both foodstuff and raw material will continue to influence all those of us who consume it and allow it to become a part of our body.}},
author = {{Jönsson, Håkan}},
isbn = {{91-7139-705-1}},
keywords = {{dairy; milk; food culture; new economy; cultural economy; material culture; consumption; functional foods; Cultural anthropology; Øresund; etnologi; Kulturantropologi; ethnology}},
language = {{swe}},
publisher = {{Brutus Östlings Bokförlag Symposion}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Mjölk - en kulturanalys av mejeridiskens nya ekonomi}},
year = {{2005}},
}