Paper short abstract:

The paper examines foodways in a Bolivian Andean community and analyses how the inhabitants use food in order to position themselves in relation to other people. While I describe everyday practices, I also take a self-critical look at the legitimacy of my work.

Paper long abstract:

During fieldwork in 2008/09 in Cabreca, a small community in the Bolivian Andes, I became fascinated with the ways in which the inhabitants use food in order to position themselves geographically and in relation to other people. My presentation will focus on everyday practices revolving around production and consumption and show that for Cabrequeños food is not only a source of energy; it is used as a medium in order to confirm and challenge social relationships. Rules whether explicitly stated or unspoken are reworked, and social networks are negotiated through foodways and the sharing of food. While permanent movement in the area has always characterised Cabreca lifestyle, attempts to connect to the global world constantly raise new challenges.

In this self-critical reflection on anthropology and on ethnography I ask how legitimate my work is and how the anthropology of food contributes to a deeper understanding of Cabreca life.