News and events
Kitchen project showcased in ESRC Festival of Social Science
7 November 2011
Kitchens were the topic under discussion at one of the many events organised as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science week (29 October to 5 November). This free event, organised by researchers at Loughborough and the Open University and held in Milton Keynes, marked the successful completion of the Transitions in Kitchen Living (TIKL) project.
A high proportion of time in the home is devoted to activities in the kitchen so a comfortable environment is needed allowing tasks to be performed with the minimum of effort and strain. Memories of kitchen life are a record of social history. The Transitions in Kitchen Living project, funded by the ESRC New Dynamics of Ageing Programme, has explored people’s experiences of kitchens past and present through oral history and how kitchens reflect changes in people’s lives. It aimed to develop guidance for the design of kitchens to meet lifetime needs, allowing people to live independently for as long as possible.
Thirty five people attended the conference from organisations such as The Science Museum, the consumer standards organisation Rikability, companies Design Matters and Kitchen Matters as well as representatives from local councils, universities, older persons representatives and the general public.
After an introduction by Professor Sheila Peace from the Faculty of Health & Social Care at the Open University, her colleague John Percival, presented the results of the oral histories we recorded from 48 individual interviews conducted in people’s homes. Many recollections emerged, the kitchen often being the warmest place in the house and the hub of the home. Many remembered a scullery for washing duties, a pantry for storing tins and packets and a larder with a marble slab for keeping food items cool and fresh.
Although a kettle on a fire or a kitchen range could supply relatively small amounts of hot water, the 'copper' water heater was the only means of obtaining hot water in significant amounts for Monday washday, for cleaning the house, for washing up dishes and the occasional bath (for some people a tin bath shared by the family taken in turns).
The kitchen table was a strong memory used for many purposes: food preparation, eating, DIY, homework, play and family conversation. The dining room was often reserved for special occasions and entertaining guests with a hatch to the kitchen for passing meals through.
Ruth Sims from the Design School focused on people’s present kitchen, how well it was suited to their abilities and needs, and coping strategies adopted to overcome problems using it. Many problems related to reaching and bending:
- Window handles hard to reach.
- Wall cupboards too high.
- Corner cupboards hard to reach into.
- Sinks and worktops at inconvenient height.
- Awkward bending down to use appliances.
- Access to low pet bowls.
People often coped by using stools, steps, raised surfaces or by crouching on the floor. A kitchen better designed for their needs could help with some of these problems. Lighting was often poor where tasks were carried out and were often below the recommended lighting levels, Again people made their own adaptations such as installing table lamps or self-adhesive LED lights to illuminate surfaces. Further results were presented on on space saving, recycling and laundry activities in the kitchen.
Martin Maguire, also from the Design School, proposed the concept of the ‘democratic’ kitchen that is sensitive to people’s changing needs as they grow older. Adaptations might be very simple such as having a lower work surface with space underneath so that a person can sit to work. Larder units and carousels in cupboards allow for easier access to cupboard contents. Slim line dishwashers could be fitted into smaller kitchens as standard. The results of a survey to elicit user requirements for the ‘techno-kitchen’ were also presented, from quick cooling hobs and automatic power down of electrical items when leaving the house, to fridges that can read out their own contents.
The meeting stimulated much audience participation and discussion with people often recollecting their own kitchen histories and experiences. There was a video record made of the event.
Note: The project has produced a resource containing quotes from kitchen histories and detailed guidance for making kitchen easier to use. This will be the basis for the production of more concise guides for specific audiences: e.g. kitchen manufacturers, installers and consumers.
(The presenters are grateful to their co-researchers Colette Nicolle and Russ Marshall for their support in preparing for this event).
For further information, please visit the ESRC website.