Does food in History matter? exploring 4th year History education students’ views on the space for food in the South African History curriculum.
Loading...
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to understand the historical significance of food as a topic
in school history, according to History Education students. The history curriculum is a
contested space for content that is relevant to learners, and this has manifested itself
recently in South Africa, with students calling for the revision of the curriculum as part
of the quest for decolonisation of education. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on
which content deserves to be included in the history curriculum. Acknowledging the
role that food has played in the unfolding of history, this study was guided by historical
significance as a conceptual framework for understanding History Education students’
views on the space for food as a topic in the South African history curriculum. The
study is qualitative in nature and is situated in the interpretivist paradigm. Open-ended
interviews were held with a sample of eight 4th year History Education students. The
findings from the data revealed that the participants advocate for the overt inclusion of
food history in the South African History curriculum, either as part of the metanarrative
or as a separate topic. They justify the historical significance of food for its influence
on economy, politics, migration, social cohesion, identity, and as a nutrient. The
conclusion is that the History Education students use their understanding of historical
significance to argue that food is central to the narrative of humanity and should
therefore overtly feature as a first-order concept in the school history curriculum.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.