Food and food practices constitute a significant part of national identity. People derive their sense of belonging through food cultures, which embody the memories of community and group membership. Eating Culture: The Poetics and Politics of Food posits cooking as an act that “performs cultural memory” (Doring, Heide & Muhleisen 2003) and reinforces communal relationships. While the Covid-19 pandemic that began in 2020 forced everyone to practice social distancing, shutting all social gatherings and communal activities. Food is one of the few things, which nevertheless aided in the continuance of social interaction. During the peak of nationwide lockdown, social media witnessed a plethora of trends related to cooking and baking as people explored their culinary skills. Food, in this manner, proves yet again that it is a unifying force, which binds people together in pleasant and unpleasant moments alike. It becomes a metaphorical space of contact between groups and fortifies the connection to one’s familial, social and cultural roots. It has been a subject of interest in various disciplines, mapping the transcultural and transnational journey of food.

The goal of this event is to lay emphasis on the socio-cultural, historical-political, literary, economic, psychological, and other perspectives under the purview of Humanities and Social Sciences.

We invite you to present your work and engage in discussion, but not remain restricted to the following themes:

• Food and cultural memory; food memoirs; food narratives in popular culture, mythology and folklore

• Sociology of food; gender and social divisions; cultural practices

• Modern eating practices and future possibilities

• History of food practices in India and around the world; culinary history

• Food psychology; body image and food; eating disorders

• Consumption patterns and entrepreneurship

• Influence of pandemic on food consumption

• Social media influence on food consumption

• Food security; food and emergency

• Healing nature of food

• Food and marginality; social construction of pure and impure food consumption

• Geography of food

• Food and linguistics; food language and periphery

• Art and aesthetics of food

Important Dates:

Abstract Submission: 30 April 2021

Accepted abstracts will be communicated by 8 May 2021

Eligibility and Participation:

We invite 3000 words abstracts along with 5-10 keywords and 50-100 words bio from postgraduate students pursuing their research from any institution in India or abroad on shssmeet.iitmandi@gmail.com.

There is no participation fee.

The graduate meet will be conducted in online mode on 29th and 30th May, 2021.

Contact Us:

For any queries, email us at shssmeet.iitmandi@gmail.com

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