Bungkus or masak?: an analysis of foodways and consumption habits of Malaysian muslims during ramadan under COVID-19

As Malaysia struggles with the COVID-19 crisis, this study is set to uncover the impacts of the pandemic on the largest majority of its population, Muslims. In the month of Ramadan, food, community, and prayer are the essences of the month-long celebration. However, due to physical distancing measur...

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Main Author: Simon, Jillian
Format: Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/64751/
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author Simon, Jillian
author_facet Simon, Jillian
author_sort Simon, Jillian
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description As Malaysia struggles with the COVID-19 crisis, this study is set to uncover the impacts of the pandemic on the largest majority of its population, Muslims. In the month of Ramadan, food, community, and prayer are the essences of the month-long celebration. However, due to physical distancing measures, this was seen to have been a challenge. Hence, this research aims to explore and answer (1) How Malaysian Muslims foodways and diets are changed during Ramadan under the Movement Control Order; (2) What influences their consumption habits during this unique Ramadan season? and, (3) What are the tactics involved to overcome physical distance and produce commensality among Malaysian Muslims?. Discourse analysis on 10 food diaries as well as on food related posts on social media, complemented by data derived from an online survey of 305 respondents reveals food as an actant with the agency to produce communal connections. This paper uses Bruno Latour’s Actor-network theory to ignite the connections between food and Ramadan practitioners, from production to distribution as well as consumption, it shows how food enabled the possibility of creating community connections during Ramadan. Moreover, by looking at food and foodways under a pandemic it unpacks conversations around social inequality, food habits, and food insecurity that will be discussed by using Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of field and capital. Thus, this study shows how food is the binding force in a distant Ramadan season.
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spelling nottingham-647512021-07-26T15:34:55Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/64751/ Bungkus or masak?: an analysis of foodways and consumption habits of Malaysian muslims during ramadan under COVID-19 Simon, Jillian As Malaysia struggles with the COVID-19 crisis, this study is set to uncover the impacts of the pandemic on the largest majority of its population, Muslims. In the month of Ramadan, food, community, and prayer are the essences of the month-long celebration. However, due to physical distancing measures, this was seen to have been a challenge. Hence, this research aims to explore and answer (1) How Malaysian Muslims foodways and diets are changed during Ramadan under the Movement Control Order; (2) What influences their consumption habits during this unique Ramadan season? and, (3) What are the tactics involved to overcome physical distance and produce commensality among Malaysian Muslims?. Discourse analysis on 10 food diaries as well as on food related posts on social media, complemented by data derived from an online survey of 305 respondents reveals food as an actant with the agency to produce communal connections. This paper uses Bruno Latour’s Actor-network theory to ignite the connections between food and Ramadan practitioners, from production to distribution as well as consumption, it shows how food enabled the possibility of creating community connections during Ramadan. Moreover, by looking at food and foodways under a pandemic it unpacks conversations around social inequality, food habits, and food insecurity that will be discussed by using Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of field and capital. Thus, this study shows how food is the binding force in a distant Ramadan season. 2021-02-24 Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/64751/1/JILLIAN%20SIMON_18817544_MA%20THESIS.pdf Simon, Jillian (2021) Bungkus or masak?: an analysis of foodways and consumption habits of Malaysian muslims during ramadan under COVID-19. [Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)] COVID-19; foodways; Ramadan; Malaysian muslim; digital commensality; bourdieu capitals; latour actor-network-theory
spellingShingle COVID-19; foodways; Ramadan; Malaysian muslim; digital commensality; bourdieu capitals; latour actor-network-theory
Simon, Jillian
Bungkus or masak?: an analysis of foodways and consumption habits of Malaysian muslims during ramadan under COVID-19
title Bungkus or masak?: an analysis of foodways and consumption habits of Malaysian muslims during ramadan under COVID-19
title_full Bungkus or masak?: an analysis of foodways and consumption habits of Malaysian muslims during ramadan under COVID-19
title_fullStr Bungkus or masak?: an analysis of foodways and consumption habits of Malaysian muslims during ramadan under COVID-19
title_full_unstemmed Bungkus or masak?: an analysis of foodways and consumption habits of Malaysian muslims during ramadan under COVID-19
title_short Bungkus or masak?: an analysis of foodways and consumption habits of Malaysian muslims during ramadan under COVID-19
title_sort bungkus or masak?: an analysis of foodways and consumption habits of malaysian muslims during ramadan under covid-19
topic COVID-19; foodways; Ramadan; Malaysian muslim; digital commensality; bourdieu capitals; latour actor-network-theory
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/64751/