Traditional Food Knowledge in a Globalized World: Mediation and Mediatization Perceived by Tswana Women in South Africa

Little is known on the mediation and mediatisation of traditional food knowledge in the context of globalising food systems in South Africa. In 2015, 12 group discussions were conducted with Tswana women of three generations from two rural communities in the Vaalharts region. The focus was on how traditional food is defined by women, how knowledge is mediated and what influences the mediatisation of traditional cooking and eating. Participants described that interpersonal mediation (oral or observational) drives the traditional knowledge transfer from old to young. Communication media (TV, magazines or commercial advertisements) support mediatisation by blurring the line between traditional and modern cooking and eating. A cookbook with traditional Tswana recipes was developed based on joint cooking sessions. The cookbook is available in print and online (Claasen, A taste of Vaalharts: traditional Tswana cooking. Tatso ya Vaalharts. Dijo Tsa Setso tsa Setswana. Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR), North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2017. http://bit.ly/2onjL6U).