A Systematic Study of an Urban Foodscape, Article Review Example

My first quote is ‘The metaphor of “food deserts,” used to describe neighborhoods with limited food retail, has captured the public and academic imagination in recent years’ (Cummins and Macintyre 2002). This quote seemed to have caught my attention since it is an unusual way to describe a neighborhood that has insufficient food retail capacity. It also appears to be the theme of the discussion in this article. The article focuses on this issue of ‘foods desert’ in comparing black and non-black neighborhoods in America. This opens the discussion and is awesome to realize that a community categorization could be affiliated with ‘food deserts.’ One wonder if this is a stereotyping pattern since blacks are considered obese and deserts are linked to their overweight problem.

Second quote is, ‘Some of what we know about racial disparities in food access is based on what we know about urban neighborhoods, since these neighborhoods are often home to racial minorities’ ( Raj, Ma &   Yadav, 2008).  This has also great significance for me interpreting what the writer is trying to project in the article.  I admire the fact that it has been recognized that society knows very little from a profound scientific perspective of the apparent stereotyping of certain foods and their relationship to specific communities classified according to their race or social status.

The writer in this section where this quote is used simply asks if racial disparities exist in neighborhood food environments.    For me it clarifies the first quote relating the ‘desert food’ metaphor linking food with ethnicity if not economic status.  Importantly the author is clarifying his opening thoughts.

References

Cummins, Steven & Macintyre. S. (2002). A systematic study of an urban foodscape: The price and availability of food in greater Glasgow. Urban Studies 39 (11): 2115-30.

Raja, S, Ma, C., &   Yadav, P. (2008).  Beyond Food Deserts. Journal of Planning Education and Research,  27:469-482