Forging Forms of Authority through the Sociomateriality of Food in Partial Organizations

This study theorizes on the sociomateriality of food in authority-building processes partial organizations by exploring alternative networks (AFNs). Through construction arenas for provisioning, AFNs represent grassroots collectives that deliberately differentiate their practices from mainstream forms provisioning. Based a sequential mixed-methods analysis 24 AFNs, where an inductive chronological is followed qualitative comparative (QCA), we found entanglements between participants’ provisioning and itself shape how authority emerges AFNs. Food generates biological, physiological social struggles AFN participants who, turn, respond embracing or avoiding them. As outcome, most tend to bureaucratize over time according four identified patterns while few idiosyncratically build more shared basis authority. We conclude plays important yet indirect role understanding why re-organize forge time.