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The geographical discipline lends itself
well to understanding this. Geographers endeavour to anchor everyday experiences within a wider spatial geometry of historical, political, economic and environmental processes, and food is a common strand
of academic discourse. The breadth and depth of the discipline is what makes it so enjoyable, engaging and relatable.
However, geography can also be challenging when we realise that we are not detached knowers and observers, but individuals entangled in these invisible networks. In Oxford, we see both overconsumption
and undernutrition along the same street; one of the readings to prepare us for the Food Journey was by Julie Guthman and Melanie DuPuis, whose claim ‘the central contradictions of global capitalism are literally embodied’ is relevant.
The Food Journey allowed us to contemplate our position within this system, and it also created an opportunity
for us to discuss how traditional ways of learning and academic research can be limited. Geographers can spend hours immersing themselves in texts that seek to represent the world we inhabit. The experiential nature of the Food Journey allowed us to be affected by the narrative, the tastes, the smells and the sounds.
For me (Gina), as I reflect on this experience amid the current Black Lives Matter movement, I am reminded of the important, embodied feeling of discomfort. The uncomfortable history of colonialism in which my city, ancestors, and the very whiteness of my own body have played
a role, was paralleled by the discomfort felt as potatoes were shoved into our mouths, chains rattling around us on
the slave ship. And for me (Rachael), I remembered stories my grandmother told of her great-great grandfather’s massive wealth as a spice plantation owner (later squandered on gambling and opium). Through these encounters, we became
aware of the liveliness and agency of
food, and their interconnection with our own histories. This sensory rhapsody and Mama’s teaching-as-performance could hardly be replicated on a page. Through our participation, we recognised the importance of the decolonial project in thinking about how we acquire knowledge.
The experience of being blindfolded and fed food hand-to-hand, and in some
cases hand-to-mouth, is unforgettable, powerful – and, with Covid restrictions, unlikely to be repeated for quite some time. Today, we are all becoming accustomed
to masks covering our mouths rather
than our eyes, although both can feel disorientating. We are very grateful for being given this opportunity, which allowed us to feel challenged, immersed, surprised and at times uncomfortable (but with very satisfied stomachs). We look forward to the next time we can share a meal as a community in the College Chapel.
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