Breaking and Remaking the British Egg: Intersections of Class, Health and Animal Welfare, 1956-1999

在战后的英国，鸡蛋成为推动和抵制集约化畜牧业的战场。通过它们，国家、生产者和消费者在塑造动物性食品生产方面的作用以新的方式显现出来，阐明了农工业复合体变化的实际后果。虽然越来越多的文献研究动物性食品的社会文化意义，但鸡蛋尽管在英国烹饪中随处可见，但研究仍然不足。我的研究旨在通过探索鸡蛋在现代英国的历史来解决这一疏漏。它采取了一种整体的方法，不仅着眼于鸡蛋生产，还着眼于不断变化的消费习惯和公众态度的更广泛的社会背景。利用政府、行业和日常文化资源，我的研究围绕着一个核心问题展开：鸡蛋生产和消费的发展如何影响和反映了人们对阶级、健康和动物福利的理解。通过关注日常而复杂的鸡蛋，并创造性地利用广泛的来源，我的项目将综合和丰富动物、食物和健康的历史。此外，它还将揭开现代英国行为的外壳，为人们提供关于阶级、消费和动物福利的新视角。

In post-war Britain, eggs became a battleground for the promotion of and resistance to the intensification of animal agriculture. Through them, the roles of the state, producers and consumers in shaping animal food production became visible in new ways, illuminating the practical consequences of changes in the agro-industrial complex. While there is a growing body of literature that examines the socio-cultural significance of animal-derived food products, the topic of eggs, despite their ubiquity in British cuisine, remains under-researched. My research aims to address this omission by exploring the history of eggs in modern Britain. It takes a holistic approach which looks not just at egg production but also the wider societal context of changing consumptive practices and public attitudes. Utilising government, industry and everyday cultural sources, my research is structured around a central driving question: how did developments in egg production and consumption shape and reflect understandings of class, health and animal welfare. By focusing on the everyday yet complex egg, and innovatively engaging with a wide range of sources, my project will synthesise and enrich animal, food and health histories. Moreover, it will crack open the shell of modern British behaviours to offer fresh perspectives on class, consumption, and animal welfare.