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Identity Construction and Community Building Practices Through Food: A Case Study
Martina Arcadu1,2, Elena Tubertini3, María Isabel Reyes Espejo2
1Department of Educational Science (DISFOR), University of Genova, 16121 Genova, Italy.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 30, 2025
Summary
Food practices in a social restaurant empower migrant women, fostering identity, community, and inclusive citizenship. This initiative challenges stereotypes and promotes social cohesion through shared culinary experiences.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Community Studies
- Food Studies
Background:
- Food is a critical element in identity construction and community processes.
- Social restaurants can serve as platforms for social and labor inclusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of food in identity construction and community processes.
- To examine how a community-based social restaurant promotes the inclusion of migrant women.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative case study of a social restaurant in Italy.
- Participatory design integrating interviews, ecological maps, photointervention, world café, and affective cartography.
- Involved 35 participants: operators, trainees, community members, and politicians.
Main Results:
- Food practices strengthen relationships, regulate community life, and build intercultural narratives.
- The restaurant creates spaces for recognition and agency for migrant women.
- Food activities act as micro-political practices subverting stereotypes and fostering inclusive citizenship.
Conclusions:
- Food practices are powerful tools for empowerment, well-being, and social participation.
- Social restaurants can positively influence urban social representations of migration.
- Ensuring continuity and institutional sustainability is crucial for similar initiatives.
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