An Ethnographic Analysis of a Church Supper in New England

This ethnographic study uses a transactional perspective to explore and explicate the co-occupation of preparing and serving of church suppers. Findings illustrate the importance of understanding how individual and group relationships, habits and routines, and the cultural, social, and historical context shapes the occupational experience of those involved. One conclusion drawn from this research is that although the observed church suppers are unique because of their situated nature, a careful and clear ethnographic analysis helps uncover aspects which may be used to understand other community co-occupations.