Consumo alimentar infantil em uma cidade do Sul de Minas: uma proposta de inspiração antropológica

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate experiences about the children’s food consumption from five to eight years old, belonging to classes A and B, by analysing the influence of cultural and symbolic system in the relationship with their mothers. We used the qualitative research methodology of ethnographic inspiration, which provides flexibility for field findings, besides providing the use of in-deep interview along with another research methods. We sought to understand the way how children build consumption meanings within their own worldview. Several categories were identified, which served to describe phenomena such as practicality, socialization, influences, childhood obesity, marks, quality, symbolism, special occasion habits, texture, memories, amusement and routine. The content analysis showed that the feeding takes a very important place in the most unlikely and common daily situations, being indissociable from the children’s life, and contributed to the building of meanings about experiences of children’s food consumption. However, the interpretation of all identified parameters in the cultural context, along with symbols, rituals and values, may contribute to consumer behaviour studies, with reflex in the company environment.