Poplar Forest Plantation Summary

Throughout the article, Bowes (2011) uses structuration theory to organize her data and to identify power relations within the setting of Poplar Forest plantation — however she never explicitly says that she is using structuration theory. Nevertheless, the theory is present and well infused into her arguments. She begins to infuse the theory into the case study from the first paragraph, where she quotes Anthony Giddens, saying that “power relations are always two-way; that is to say, however subordinate an actor may be in a social relationship, the very fact of involvement in that relationship gives him or her a certain amount of power over the other” (Bowes 2011:89-90; Giddens 1979:6). By quoting this aspect of structuration theory in her …show more content…
Throughout the entire article, she uses the methodology attached to this model to explain the master-slave power relationship through data pertaining to foodways. For example, in the second paragraph Bowes (2011) states that McKee’s (1999) model “indicates a relationship between the source of slaves’ meat and the owner’s attitude toward the source’s legitimacy” (Bowes 2011:90). This shows that the model is based off of structuration theory, as it deals with the power dynamics between the master and his slaves, which as aforementioned is a part of structuration theory. Bowes (2011) goes on to explain the differences between provided, produced, and procured foods (97-100), which is central to the model, and goes on to separate her data into these different groupings. Her conclusions are based on the model, stating that the types of food items within the diet were based on the relationship between the master and the slaves (Bowes 2011: 105). Specifically, she mentions that slaves tended to have less procured food in their diets when the master was present and more procured food when the master was more lenient or absent (Bowes …show more content…
However, through analyzing the techniques that she used, it seems as though the insertion of methodology into structuration might strengthen the arguments that were made. It is possible that Bowes’ (2011) lack of outright mentioning the theory itself and emphasis on methodology is a critique on structuration theory, suggesting that the methodological portion of theory is just as important as the theory. This also begs the question of if theories should be used as the creator wanted. Although Giddens abhorred the use of methodology in theory, its use could strengthen the arguments that it makes. Overall, Bowes (2011) combination of theory and methodology should be used as an example for future case studies that wish to analyze data using a generalized