Between ought and can: perception and satisfaction of food needs in Mexico City

Abstract

In this article I discuss both conceptually and empirically the existence of a social norm about what is considered necessary in the field of food, and I analyze the capacity of households in Mexico City to access it. To this end, I revise the arguments that highlight the importance of food not only as a good that satisfies biological needs but also psychological and social ones, and I present some of the most relevant aspects of the theoretical debates on necessity and deprivation. The empirical analysis is based on the epasb 2009. The document concludes with some considerations on the possible social and moral implications that deprivation of goods considered necessary could have on people’s life experience.