Tales from the archive

The recent turn towards the re-use of data in the social sciences means a growing number of food researchers are conducting 'fieldwork in the archives' (Brettell, 1998). Making sense of historical data raises a number of methodological questions for social scientists: What historical food data-sets are available and how have they been used for different studies? How do social scientists contextualise historical data in relation to contemporary sources? What can social scientists learn from historians about working with historical data in relation to food? How have social scientists in the past engaged with archives? Through a series of presentations and audience-led discussion, this day-long workshop examined the issues raised by the use of archives in social science food research.

Event programme (pdf)

Archived food data by Libby Bishop (ppt)

Driven use of archives in food research by Stephen Mennell (ppt)

Tales from the archive by Abigail Knight (ppt)

Tales from the archive by David Smith (ppt)

Tales from the archive by Peter Jackson (ppt)

Shopping around in the archives by Helen Wakely (ppt)