BHM313: International Culinary Culture Report - Queen Victoria Market

This report examines the role of food in generating individual experiences, focusing on the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Australia. The report begins with an introduction highlighting the universal nature of food consumption and its impact on individual perceptions, followed by a description of the market, its significance, and its diverse offerings. The study then explores food in the contemporary context, discussing the shift from traditional self-sufficiency to an experience economy influenced by globalization. The theoretical framework incorporates interpretative theory and concepts of conspicuous consumption. The research employs a qualitative approach, with data collected from a sample of respondents from diverse cultural backgrounds. The conclusion emphasizes the effects of globalization on consumption patterns and the emergence of the experience economy.

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Introduction
This paper is going to discuss how the understanding of food or the culture associated with that
generates individual experience. Consumption of food is a universal phenomenon across borders;
however, each individual has different ways to perceive reality (Hamari et al 2016). Thus, results
difference in opinion, which is also the reason why every person has different expense attached to the
senses of consumption. The food market in Queen Victoria market is one of the major landmark in
Melbourne, Australia. This market is a largest open air market in the southern hemisphere. This
following research will be taking place in this particular and the theme of food as generator of human
experience will illustrated further.
Description of the site visit
The Queen Victoria market is also known as Vic market or queen Vic. it is the largest open-air
market and it is around seven hectares. Due the interesting past and due its location, this market has
become one of the tourist destination. The market adds to the social and cultural significance to the
Australian heritage. This market offers both international and national variety of fruits and vegetables
such as meat, poultry and seafood, gourmet and delicatessen food. This market also has wide range of
clothing, shoes, jewellery and handmade arts and crafts.
Food in the contemporary context
Food in the contemporary context has changed in many ways. I the traditional society, growing
food was part of the household chores (Lukman et al 2016). There was lack of division of labour and
the food consumption was also not differentiated. However, this was the innate nature of the self-
sufficient economy. Unlike the capitalist economy where there is standardization in production.
Innovation in food industry has led to the emergence of experience economy where consumption is not
aiming to physical satisfaction but for fulfilment of desires. Globalization assisted to accelerate this
process where there is a functional integration along with cross-border flow of cultural pattern.

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Theoretical framework
The theories that can be borrowed for understanding such phenomenon are interpretative theory,
because the consumption of food needs to analyse qualitatively. Along with the interpretative approach,
the research should also understand the ways and means in which the pattern of consumption is
changing. Consumption is no more related to the fulfilment of the physical hunger, it has been able to
capture the hegemony of eye. Therefore, the researcher can also borrow the research ideas from the
Veblen, and his famous conspicuous consumption. The research design will be based on the qualitative
approach where the ontology will qualitative a epistemology will be interpretative understand.
Evidence of research
The research contained sample size of 50-60, the respondents were collected based on random
sampling technique. Therefore it was probabilistic sampling techniques, where every respondent had
the equal chance of being represented in the sampling procedure. The respondents have different
cultural background and they also very across age group. 20 of my respondents were Chinese and out
of that 20, 17 were presently settled in Australia. Then there were 23 respondents who were Britishers
and they are also permanently resident of Australia. Few were teenagers and there were few who were
really old. The detailed description will be followed be there in the Appendix.
Conclusion
Thus it can be concluded that with the onset of globalization there is greater functional
integration. The international attitude can be felt in our lived experience by the consumption of food.
The style of consumption is changing in a rapid pace, thus give way to experience economy (Sims
2016). However it is important to understand how does the structural changes affects the choice of food
and how much does the individual had the capacity exercises their own will.

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References
Hamari, J., Sjöklint, M. and Ukkonen, A., 2016. The sharing economy: Why people participate in
collaborative consumption. Journal of the association for information science and technology, 67(9),
pp.2047-2059.
Lukman, R.K., Glavič, P., Carpenter, A. and Virtič, P., 2016. Sustainable consumption and
production–Research, experience, and development–The Europe we want. Journal of cleaner
production, 138, pp.139-147.
Sims, L.S., 2016. The Politics of Fat: People, Power and Food and Nutrition Policy: People, Power
and Food and Nutrition Policy. Routledge.