School meals between pedagogy and politicsIFHE Congress Melbourne 2012

Jette BennAarhus University

Benn@dpu.dk

Food Education/’Food Bildung’/Food Literacy – in a pedagogical/didactic triangle (Benn et al 2010 s. 18)

Food Education/ Food Bildung/Food Literacy

Pupil Food responsible person,teacher, health consultant…

Content

Wel

lbei

ng

Learning

environm

ent

Knowledge/competence

3

Model of the levels of food(Benn, 1996, 2009)

What is food?

Food Education/ Food Bildung/Food Literacy

Discourses Decisions

Economy

External actors

Inst

itutio

ns

Intended reality

Possible reality

Observed reality

Expe

rien

ced

real

ity

Historical dimensionfu

ture

past

present

Geographical & social cultural dimension

The subject field of food ‘Bildung’ research (revised by Benn from Nielsen, FV, 1999 p.36 The subject field of music educational research)

School Meals’ Discourses!

• basic and necessary nutrition following nutritional science development •active or passive situation•education for health and/or food ‘Bildung’•eating of ’proper meals’ or nurturous diets•social equality (food for all) or consumption

inequality (food for some)•part of health and nutrition education ning a lesson for life or free time!

School Meal’s History

1883

1938 2009

Historical perspectives in 100 yearsCompensation

Compensation/Equality

Consumption/Inequality

Community/Competence

Community/Differentation

Consumption offer/Competence

Compensation

Compensation/Competence/Community/Offer /Differentation/….

Policies - pedagogies• 1880-1920 selective social- & health policy

• 1930’ities selective to community social- & health policy

• 1950’ities community family- & health policy

• 1970’ies individual consumer- & health policy

• 1980’ies single health pedagogical projects

• 2000 health pedagogical projects & sales offers

• 2007 – all kinds of policies, offers and educational projects and pedagogies

- plus evidense based studies

School meal educational projects

Ex of participation of pupils reasoned as• Practical break and motivation in a school

day• Learning of cooking and health• Learning of culture and social commensality• Learning of running a tuck shop as business• Experience and learning food ‘Bildung’, food

literacy as part of everyday life in school

• What does history show?• Who has the ownership to the lunch break?• Shall school lunch be feeding or education?• Must it be free public financed or private?• Should pupils bee involved?• Is it a break or part of school day and education? • Is it ‘free food’ and time or prescribed diet and

time according to timetable?• Supports ‘good’learning healthy nutrtion or is

healthy nutrition supporting good learning? Or both?

Questions

11

‘Food is a complex case. It’s consumption is universal, mundane and polyvalent. Everyone eats, most eat several times a day without much reflection; yet the activity is integrally connected with many other highly meaningful aspects of living. It is meaningful because social;’

(Warde 1997 s. 181)

In Danish:Velbekomme!Much good may it do you!