Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-4-2012
Keywords
cooking, division of labour, domestic labour, foodwork, gender, leisure, men/masculinity, poststructuralism, work
Abstract
Market research documents a rising passion for cooking among men. Yet, some feminists argue that men see cooking as ‘leisure’ in part because they have distance from day-to-day care obligations. However, empirical research on men’s home cooking is still limited. This article investigates the relationship between cooking and leisure among 30 Canadian men with significant household cooking responsibilities. Drawing on interview, observational and diary data, and poststructural conceptualizations of leisure, I ask, to what extent do these men understand cooking as leisure and why? Opposing the notion that women’s cooking is ‘work’ and men’s, ‘leisure’, I find that these men experience cooking as ‘work-leisure’ complicated by worries about others’ preferences, health and approval. However, I also argue that participants create leisurely cooking by manipulating cooking spaces and time(s), and it is in the ease with which they do so that gender (as well as class and race) hierarchies become more visible.
Faculty
Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
Journal
Sociology
Volume
47
Issue
4
First Page
623
Last Page
638
Version
Publisher's version
Peer Reviewed/Refereed Publication
yes
Copyright
© Szabo, 2012
Terms of Use
Terms of Use for Works posted in SOURCE.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
SOURCE Citation
Szabo, M. (2012). Foodwork or Foodplay? Men’s Domestic Cooking, Privilege and Leisure. Sociology, 47 (4), 623–638. doi: 10.1177/0038038512448562
Included in
Leisure Studies Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Work, Economy and Organizations Commons
