Open Access: Kitchen concerns at the boundary between markets and consumption: agencing practice change in times of scarcity (Husmodern, Sweden 1938–1958)

Making sustainable markets and the forming of a circular economy

“…First, the work of concerning markets, politicising them, making people care about change and mobilising different actors to bring about such change is the key to taking into account important elements that make markets sustainable. Stigzelius et al (2018), for example, shows how concerned housewives in war time Sweden have to address 'resource scarcity' in order for both markets and consumption to be sustained (also see, Phipps and Ozanne 2017). Stigzelius et al (2018), follow 'two matters of concern' in the Swedish housewives magazine -'the scarcity of resources in food markets' and 'the scarcity of time in consumption' -and show how published narratives that explain how housewives should be acting in and out of the kitchen as they shop, cook and clean, leads to the changing practices of thrift and convenience in the kitchen, forming a market-consumption junction (Cowan 1987).…”

“…Stigzelius et al (2018), for example, shows how concerned housewives in war time Sweden have to address 'resource scarcity' in order for both markets and consumption to be sustained (also see, Phipps and Ozanne 2017). Stigzelius et al (2018), follow 'two matters of concern' in the Swedish housewives magazine -'the scarcity of resources in food markets' and 'the scarcity of time in consumption' -and show how published narratives that explain how housewives should be acting in and out of the kitchen as they shop, cook and clean, leads to the changing practices of thrift and convenience in the kitchen, forming a market-consumption junction (Cowan 1987). The mechanisms of concerning (Mallard 2016), whereby housewives are shown in the magazine how to save food, make food go further and use-up leftovers, and agencing (Cochoy, Trompette and Araujo 2016), whereby new market objects (meat bouillon and meat grinders, for example) are introduced to support the better use of leftovers, drive changes at the boundary between markets and consumption.…”