57: Why Are Gassy Foods and Farting So Taboo in Anthropology? with Danielle Gendron

You’re probably wondering what the heck we’re about to explore today... and indeed, it’s going to be all about farts and gassy foods.

My guest this week is Danielle Gendron, a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia. Danielle and I work together on some research projects, and have been friends for a while through that. She first pitched this idea to me back in the spring, and I laughed at it, almost dismissively. But then I started thinking more about what she had to say, and realized we absolutely had to explore this on the show.

Danielle’s Master’s research topic was about food sovereignty, where she explored the significance of territory-based food systems to Gitxaala First Nation culture and their ways of knowing. Through her work, she traced one particular food, seaweed, through the Gitxaala food system from harvest to processing to consumption. During her experiences there, she soon found out that eating a lot of seaweed can make you very... gassy.

It’s something that feels silly but is, as Danielle says, a legitimate thing to explore. So we’re exploring this more today with a bit of fun – while Danielle does share some really important lessons and experiences she had working with Gitxaala First Nation, we’re focusing more on the idea of farting itself – what makes it such a taboo subject, why do we always giggle when it comes up, and why isn’t it being studied at all in anthropology? Why do we have internal dilemmas about sharing our stories and research about gassy foods and the farts they produce?

Tune in to hear more!

Resources

• Farting in Anthropology PopAnth post by Kirsten Bell
• Danielle Gendron's research at UBC