Dining Out, Eating In: Changing Food Practices and Social Relationships in Urban India

Deepa Mohan

Abstract 

This paper examines how changes in urban India, such as rapid urbanization and new work habits, are influencing food behaviours. It reviews how dining in restaurants, using food delivery apps, and easy fast food have affected how families share meals, form close bonds, and operate within the home. Using theories from sociology, such as practice theory and late modernity, the study examines how class, gender, aspirations, and food consumption interact with one another This teaches that food plays a role in cultural acceptance, social status, and identity and often causes disagreement between health intentions and eating fast food. Besides, the paper looks at how food care is affected by gender, the way food preparation becomes a commodified activity, and the ways food culture is performed in online spaces. Within the framework of India’s urban growth, the research analyses how eating has changed in social and cultural terms for city residents today. Finally, it recommends future research topics for personalized food using AI as well as the social and political changes digital food economies may produce.

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Published: June 2025 [Vol. 08, No. 06]

Popular Versus Literary – A False Divide? Rethinking Genre through the Novels of Kate Atkinson

Sonal Priyadarshini

Abstract

Scholars, critics, and publishers have treated popular and literary fiction as two very different kinds of writing for years. This paper attempts to scrutinize that timeless divide by exploring the novels of British contemporary author Kate Atkinson. From her prize-winning debut novel ‘Behind the Scenes at the Museum’ to her widely loved Jackson Brodie detective series and bold and valiant experiments like ‘Life After Life’, Atkinson displays that powerful storytelling, rich style, and extensive appeal can go hand in hand. Drawing from genre theory and reception studies, this paper contends that Atkinson’s work disputes the conventional hierarchies of “high” and “low” literature. Her fiction challenges us to rethink how we define quality, purpose, and audience in contemporary writing. Ultimately, the study concludes that the distinction between popular and literary fiction is less about artistic merit or skill and more about the cultural assumptions shaped by institutions and the book market.

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Published: June 2025 [Vol. 08, No. 06]