1. Why this seminar? Using narrative archival data to study food Abigail Knight, Professor Julia Brannen, Dr Rebecca O’Connell, Stephanie Baum In association with the University of Sussex

2. The Novella Study NOVELLA (Narratives of Varied Everyday Life and Linked Approaches) Funded by ESRC as part of National Centre for Research Methods Based at Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education PI – Professor Ann Phoenix October 2011-September 2014 Three projects (parenting and identity; families and environment; food and families) Food and families in hard times: methodological innovations

3. 3 Food and families in hard times: Methodological innovations Researching everyday, habitual food practices is challenging. Study aims to advance knowledge about how to bridge ‘disconnect’ between behaviour and constructed meanings in habitual food practices in hard times By exploring the usefulness of narrative methods in food research Through the secondary analysis of three different historical and archival data-sets, such as diary and visual sources

4. Using narrative historical and archival data Inspirations C. Wright Mills Pierre Bourdieu Caroline Brettell – ‘fieldwork in the archives’ Three datasets Mass Observation – diaries, directives Oral History data Visual narratives and life history interviews Imperial War Museum 4

5. What is an archive for and what purpose does it serve? What archival material is available for the analysis of family food practices? How do different disciplines use archives? What other data sources are used to contextualise archival data? How do contemporaneous perspectives shape the analysis of archival data and how are these taken into account when making sense of the material? Seminar aims to provide guidelines and recommendations for researchers who are beginning to use archival data 5 Tales from the Archive – Questions to address