Racial inequality or mutual aid? Food and poverty among Pakistani British and White British women

Abstract

Chapter 7 considers whether and how ethnic and ethno-religious identities may influence the likelihood of reporting food insecurity, as well as the broader lived experience of food, poverty and food aid use. It focuses on women with young children at a local level, but also draws upon data collected at a national level, where available. It explicates the varying political and ethical frameworks that may underpin lived experiences of food in contexts of poverty – neoliberal ethics of independence, hospitality informed by Islam, and mutual aid – arguing that, in some marginalised communities mutual aid is the predominant ethical system. It closes by exploring in depth possibilities for mutual aid in food charity, highlighting the progressive ethical and political frameworks, celebrating interdependence and fostering resistance to neoliberal norms, that underpin some food charities.