Dr. Jörg Albrecht

In my dissertation I have historically and systematically examined the transfers and transformations of plant-oriented concepts and practices of "alternative nutrition" in Germany from the emergence of organized vegetarianism in the 19^th century to the emergence of whole foods and natural foods in the 20^th century to the so-called "organic boom" of the recent past. With a focus on both diachronically and synchronously different carrier milieus of "alternative nutrition" and corresponding institutionalizations, I localized the different norms and justifications of food selection, processing, and production in their respective historical, social, and religious contexts. Particular attention is paid to the innovative potential of these initially nonconformist practices and their processes of compatibilisation and adaptation on their way into the mainstream.

Despite numerous historical and current references to religions, alternative diets are not 'religious' phenomena 'sui generis'. However, they can be methodologically reflected and profitably examined from the perspective of the study of religions. Through the application of socio-religious categories with heuristic intent, they can be treated "as if" they were religions or religious phenomena with regard to the entire food culture. In addition, they can be positioned structurally analogous to each other in the ideal-typical field of tension between orthodoxy (hegemonic food system) and heterodoxy ("alternative nutrition") according to their socio-cultural relations in the structure of social hegemony. From this point of view, different phases of social 'upgrading' and 'containment' of some of these knowledge stocks and practices through processes of economization, scientification, legal recognition and state promotion can be determined over the period under study, and this cultural dynamics can be interpreted as a sequence of historically changing conformism-nonconformism constellations.

"Alternative nutrition" has evolved from a non-conforming ''alternative'' to an alternative ''option'' in the pluralism of a diversifying food culture, while actively contributing to this pluralization process. The self- and external attributions of "alternative nutrition" changed by various actors, for example from an (alternative) religious practice to a socially recognized and desired consumer behaviour, which is seen as an expression of a responsible, healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Following on from these findings, I am currently working on the conception of a research project on the global entanglement history of "alternative nutrition" and the transnational transfer and re-contextualization processes of some of its concepts and practices in the field of tension between religion, medicine and economics.