Disappearance of the traditional meal: Temporal, social and spatial destructuration

The disappearance of the ‘traditional’ meal was explored, comparing Flemish time budget data for 1988 and 1999. In 1988, 463 respondents between 21 and 40 years old kept a diary for three consecutive days. In 1999, 599 respondents followed the same procedure for a full week. Respondents registered all their activities, including timing, duration, location and other parties to the interaction. Respondents also completed a questionnaire. Questionnaire and time budget data from the 1988 and 1999 surveys were merged into a single, combined database. Separate analyses were undertaken for weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Data from 1988 and 1999 were compared, bearing in mind the temporal, social and spatial features of the meal. The results indicate that the Flemish are not eating indiscriminately, in terms of time, place or the company of others. There was no sign of a shift between 1988 and 1999 towards disorganisation of the meal in these terms. All in all, Flemish eating practices show a high level of structure in the temporal, spatial and social organisation of the meal.