Call for Book Chapters: Cultures of Food in Pakistan: From Hunting-Gathering to McDonaldization
Editors: Dr. Inayat Ali, and Dr. Saima Hamid
The culinary landscape of Pakistan is a unique and complex phenomenon. Food in Pakistan holds profound symbolic significance and is central to various ceremonies, rituals, and social gatherings, including the hospitality extended to guests. This demonstrates not merely the fusion and fission of ingredients but also various cultures. It is a fascinating blend of traditional and modern influences, revealing a highly intricate weaving of sociocultural, economic, and geopolitical contexts. On one hand, there are still hunting-gathering communities such as Bagrri who continue to engage in traditional food practices on a daily basis. On other hand, the country is witnessing the rapid spread of “Western” and Asian food chains—including McDonald’s, KFC, Tim Hortons coffee shops, and Chinese Hotpots—alongside the emergence of local establishments like the “Quetta Cafes.”
Moreover, the practice of food as medicine and medicine as food is deeply ingrained in Pakistani culture. Traditional recipes often include spices and herbs known for their healing properties, such as turmeric and ginger. These culinary practices are passed down through generations, blending nourishment with natural remedies. Although similar in many ways, every province contains a distinct food system. Each region showcases its unique ingredients and cooking methods. This diversity contributes to a rich and varied culinary landscape across the country. Yet, amidst these cultural dynamics, the specter of climate change looms large, significantly impacting food choices and practices, particularly among vulnerable and marginalized populations facing food insecurity. Disparities in access to and affordability of nutritious food items contribute to a complex landscape where some individuals experience overnutrition while others suffer from malnutrition.
This unique food landscape can be studied employing different theoretical lenses (see Counihan 2018; Albala 2013; Mintz et al. 2002; Macbeth & MacClancy 224). One can also use the “4 As model,” which relates to acceptability, availability, accessibility, and affordability (Ali, 2023, under review). Not every food item is acceptable to be eaten. However, if a culture accepts it, it may still not be available, accessible, or affordable for everyone across the country, depending on sociocultural determinants, economic factors and geopolitical systems.
Thus, food appears a great critical entry point into understanding Pakistani society and a lens through which to explore the intersection of sociocultural, economic, and geopolitical systems. Focusing on this, the current edited volume seeks contributions from (medical) anthropologists, public health experts, medical anthropologists, psychologists, medical sociologists, and scholars from other relevant disciplines. We invite abstract submissions that examine the multifaceted relationship between food and society in Pakistan, considering how food is shaped by sociocultural, economic, and geopolitical systems and how it, in turn, influences these systems.
Potential topics may include, but are not limited to:
Perceptions and practices of food and culinary traditions
The impact of globalization, “McDonaldization,” “KFCization,” and Asian food on Pakistani food culture
Food in rituals, ceremonies, (e.g., related to birth, marriage, death) and hospitality practices
The role of food in mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health and healing practices
Food security, nutrition, and the impact of climate change
Sociocultural, economic, and geopolitical disparities in food access and dietary patterns
Food marketing, consumer behavior, and food preferences
Food cuisine and cultures of local Mashroobat, e.g., tea or lassi
Food, identity, and placemaking
Food and politics
Policy implications for addressing food-related challenges
References:
Albala, Ken, ed. Routledge international handbook of food studies. London: Routledge, 2013.
Counihan, Carole M. The anthropology of food and body: Gender, meaning and power. London: Routledge, 2018.
Macbeth, Helen M., and Jeremy MacClancy, eds. Researching food habits: methods and problems. Vol. 5. Berghahn Books, 2004.
Mintz, Sidney W., and Christine M. Du Bois. "The anthropology of food and eating." Annual review of anthropology 31, no. 1 (2002): 99-119.
Submission Guidelines and Important Dates:
Chapter abstracts should clearly outline the chapter’s objectives, methodology, and potential contributions to the book’s overarching theme. While emailing your proposals, please mention the book title in the subject. The Book will be published by the internationally reputable publisher either Routledge or Peter Lang.
Abstracts should be between 250-300 words.
Full chapters should be between 5,000-6,000 words.
Proposal Submission Deadline: 15 June 2024
Notification of Acceptance: 15 July 2024
Full Chapter Submission Deadline: 30 September 2024
Expected Publication: 30 December 2024
Contact: For inquiries and proposal submission, please contact Dr. Inayat Ali (inayat_qau@yahoo.com), and Prof. Dr. Saima Hamid (hamid.saima0@gmail.com)
Editor Bios:
Dr. Inayat Ali is a Pakistani medical anthropologist and public health expert. He obtained his PhD from the University of Vienna, Austria. He served as the founding charge of the Department of Public Health and Allied Sciences and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He has also served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Surabaya State University, Indonesia, and as a Research Fellow at the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Vienna, Austria. Benefiting from critical medical anthropology, he explores the interplay between health, disease, structured disparities, geopolitics, and biopolitics. He has authored approximately 50 peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed articles on infectious diseases, vaccination, nutrition, maternal health, and climate change. He is the lead editor of three books: “Negotiating the Pandemic: Cultural, National, and Individual Constructions of COVID-19” (London: Routledge), “COVID-19 Syndemics of the Global South: A World Divided” (forthcoming in 2024, London: Routledge), and “Traditional Midwives: Cross-Cultural Perspectives” (forthcoming in 2024, London: Routledge). Additionally, he is the sole author of two forthcoming books: “Contesting Measles and Vaccination: Cultural Beliefs, Structured Vulnerabilities, Mistrust, and Geo-Politics in Pakistan” (London: Routledge, forthcoming in 2024) and “Constructing the Pandemic in Pakistan: Competing Perceptions, Politics, and Structured Disparities during COVID-19” (London: Routledge, forthcoming in 2024). Furthermore, he worked as the Principal Investigator of the project “Exploring and Understanding the Impacts of COVID-19: A Qualitative Inquiry” and served as a medical anthropologist in a Yale University project. Moreover, he is an associate editor of four well-known international journals: Journal of Biosocial Science, PLOS Global Public Health, Humanities and Social Science Communications, and Dialogues in Health. He also works as a reviewer for reputable publishers. In addition to his academic writing, he contributes op-eds to leading English newspapers in Pakistan.
Prof. Dr. Saima Hamid is serving as a Professor in Global Institute of Human Development at Tameer-e-Milat University, Islamabad. Previously, she served as Vice-Chancellor, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, since October 11, 2019. As a chief academic officer of the University, she is responsible for the policy making and advancement of the academic and scholarly life of the University. Dr. Hamid completed her PhD from the prestigious Department of Public Health, Karolinska Institute, Sweden, in 2010. Dr. Hamid is a highly accomplished professional with over 21 years teaching and research experience. Her areas of interest are Reproductive Health, Adolescent Health, Family planning, Health systems and implementation science. Dr. Hamid has published in reputable journals nationally and internationally. She has led many research projects and published several research papers/articles in indexed scientific journals. Dr. Hamid has initiated and consolidated various collaborations with various institutions and universities nationally and internationally. Dr. Hamid has been a member of numerous organizations and working groups including: Global Implementation Society, Public Health Association of Pakistan, Population Association of Pakistan, White Ribbon Alliance of Pakistan, SUN Academia & Research Network Pakistan (SUNAR, Pak), Public Health Department Alumni Network, Karolinska Institute, Sweden, Technical Working Group (TWG) of Ministry of National Health Services Regulations & Coordination on Maternal Child Health, Midwifery, Task Force NDMA and MISP. Dr. Hamid is also an office holder of several statutory bodies at the University and currently serves as a member of different committees of Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, and other public sector universities of Pakistan.