The social and cultural mechanism of dietary behaviors in high disease occurrence region—A case study of the digestive tract cancers in Guangdong Province
Drawing insights from the theories of path dependence and field-habitus,and taking the Cha-oshan region,a high-incidence area of digestive tract cancers in Guangdong Province,as a case,this study attempts to understand why unhealthy local dietary behaviors have strong cultural inertia even in an era of scientific advancement.From the perspective of social and cultural mechanisms and using a mixed research method biding quantitative and qualitative approaches,the dietary traditions of Kong Fu tea and pickled food prevailing in the Chaoshan region,two dietary habits that are proven to be un-healthy and increase the occurrence risk of digestive tract cancers,are analyzed.Our study suggests(1)the pursuit of the aroma of Kong Fu tea by Chaoshan people,the traditional tea culture melt in daily life,and the social functions attached to Kong Fu tea have kept locking in and reinforcing the tasting manner of Kong Fu tea characterized by a hot drink with a high temperature;and(2)the traditional ca-tering custom of raw pickled food,the need for fast and convenient food in a fast-paced modern soci-ety,and the pursuit of the seafood's original and delicate flavor by local people have sustained the pop-ularity of pickled food in the Chaoshan region.(3)In the dietary field of Chaoshan region,habitus is a socialized subjectivity with strong,unconscious,and structured power.It forms a social force shaping collective dietary behaviors,leading the social actors to slip into a natural and meaningful living space on their own.Existing studies of medical science and health geography tend to focus on the connections and links of physical environment,diseases,and dietary behaviors.This study,by revealing the social and cultural mechanisms underlying the path-dependent attributes of dietary habits,has contributed new insights to better understand these connections and links and provided new ways of thinking in the pre-vention of chronic diseases.
国家科技期刊平台
NSTL
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