Poor and Pregnant in New Delhi, India (International Institute for Qualitative Methodology Series)

In this innovative contribution to the study of food, gender, and power, Helen Vallianatos meticulously documents cultural values and beliefs, dietary practaices, and the nutritional and health status of mothers in Indian squatter settlements. She explores both large-scale forces―incorporating critical medical anthropology and feminist theory into a biocultural paradigm―and the local and individual choices New Delhi women make in interpreting cultural dietary norms based on their reproductive histories, socioeconomic status, family structure, and other specific conditions. Her findings have significant implications for nutritional and medical anthropology and development studies, and her innovative research design serves as a model for multi-method studies that use participatory research principles, combine quantitative and qualitative investigations, and interpret diverse types of data. Cover 1 Title Page 2 Copyright Page 3 Dedication 4 Table of Contents 6 List of Figures, Tables, and Graphs 8 Acknowledgements 10 Preface 12 1 Food, Gender, and Power 16 2 The Setting: Living in Poverty 36 3 The Research Process: Participants and Methods 54 4 The Political Economy of Health and Hunger in India 70 5 Eating for Two? Perspectives on Food Consumption During Pregnancy 100 6 The Social Contexts for Pregnant Women’s Nutritional Landscapes 130 7 Health Assessment: Numbers and Experiences 168 8 Relationships between Food, Power, and Gender 204 Appendix A: Glossary 218 Appendix B: Food-Based Dietary Guidelines 220 Appendix C: Food Categorization in Chanda Nagar 222 References 226 Index 256