Learning from the past? An exploratory study of familial food socialization processes using the lens of emotional reflexivity
Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to explore the parental role in children’s food socialization. More specifically, it explores how the legacy of the past (i.e. experiences from the participant’s own childhood) works to inform how parents, in turn, socialize their own children within the context of food, drawing on theories of consumer socialization, intergenerational influence and emotional reflexivity. Design/methodology/approach To seek further understanding of how temporal elements of intergenerational influence persist (through the lens of emotional reflexivity), the authors collected qualitative and interpretative data from 30 parents from the UK using a combination of existential–phenomenological interviews, photo-elicitation techniques and accompanied grocery shopping trips (observational interviews). Findings Through intergenerational reflexivity, parents are found to make a conscious effort to either “sustain” or “disregard” particular food practices learnt from the previous generation with their children (abandoning or mimicking the behaviours of their own parents within the context of food socialization). Factors contributing to the disregarding of food behaviours (new influencer, self-learning and resistance to parental power) emerge. A continuum of parents is identified, ranging from the “traditionalist” to “improver” and the “revisionist”. Originality/value By adopting a unique approach in exploring the dynamic of intergenerational influence through the lens of emotional reflexivity, this study highlights the importance of the parental role in socializing children about food, and how intergenerational reflexivity helps inform parental food socialization practices. The intergenerational reflexivity of parents is, thus, deemed to be crucial in the socialization process.
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Food socialisation has been primarily investigated in the context of early years (under 12's) socialisation and children.
“Across the range of scholarly work, food socialisation has been primarily investigated in the context of early years (under 12's) socialisation and children”
From 'I'd never cook it now': an exploration of intergenerational transference and its role in facilitating family food sustainability (2023) · cites this paper as Kharuhayothin and Kerrane, 2018
The Introduction (pp. 4–5) describes multiple studies of children’s food socialisation, supporting the claim that children are a major focus of the literature. The under-12 cutoff in the Introduction (p. 10) describes this paper’s recruitment criteria, not the age range primarily studied across scholarly work. Our copy does not establish that most food-socialisation research concerns children under 12. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredKharuhayothin and Kerrane's (2018) study uncovered that intergenerational reflexivity played a crucial role in shaping children's food socialisation processes but did not specifically explore how transference takes place.
“Investigating whether parents draw upon what they learned as children from their parents regarding food socialisation, they uncovered intergenerational reflexivity played a crucial role in shaping children's food socialisation processes but did not specifically explore how transference takes place.”
From 'I'd never cook it now': an exploration of intergenerational transference and its role in facilitating family food sustainability (2023) · cites this paper as Kharuhayothin and Kerrane, 2018
The Discussion (p. 26) explicitly says parental intergenerational reflexivity plays a crucial role in children's food socialization. The qualification about transference is not supported as stated: the Introduction (p. 9) says the study explores how parents teach children about food, and the Discussion (p. 30) says it explores how past practices are repeated or discontinued. The copy does not establish whether it examined how children themselves take up those practices. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredNegative memories of childhood meals dominated by unpleasant processed foods led to the construction of sustainable food identities linked to pleasure, organic and authentic provisioning.
“Redolent of the oppositional potential of legacy Kharuhayothin and Kerrane (2018) found within their study, negative memories of childhood meals dominated by unpleasant processed foods led to the construction of sustainable food identities linked to pleasure, organic and authentic provisioning (Hedegaard and Hémar-Nicolas, 2020).”
From 'I'd never cook it now': an exploration of intergenerational transference and its role in facilitating family food sustainability (2023) · cites this paper as Kharuhayothin and Kerrane, 2018
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Carrigan, M., Wells, V., & Athwal, N. (2023) · European Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1108/ejm-10-2021-0804 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
- Authors
- Kharuhayothin, T., & Kerrane, B.
- Affiliations
- University of Manchester (GB)
- Lancaster University (GB)
- Venue
- European Journal of Marketing
- Publisher
- Emerald
- Published
- 2018-11-12
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 2312-2333
- ISSN
- 0309-0566 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2804721859
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 0.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Marketing (publishedVersion)
- Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University) (acceptedVersion)
- e-space (Manchester Metropolitan University) (acceptedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food, Nutrition, and Cultural Practices
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification
- Keywords
- food socialization, parental role, emotional reflexivity, intergenerational influence, consumer socialization, historical legacy, food practices, parental authority, photo-elicitation, grocery shopping
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