Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Dean, Erin

Area of Concentration

Environmental Studies and Anthropology

Abstract

This is an ethnography of food systems at Twin Oaks Intentional Community, a rural income-sharing commune of about 100 children and adults in Central Virginia. I use data from three months of participant observation, interviews, and community records to analyze multiple aspects of on-site food production and consumption. I look at how the community produces a portion of its own food, through their dairy program and a large vegetable garden, as well as how the community allocates resources to purchase and obtain outside food and how these fit in with concepts of self-sufficiency and interdependence. I use an embodied approach to understand the challenges of working in the community-owned and operated soy foods production facility which brings in a significant portion of the community’s income. I look at the benefits of communal living, including access to fresh, local foods, participation in food production, and social interaction during communal meals, as well as its challenges, including restricted food choices and limited financial resources.

Download

Share

COinS