Food Culture and Its Relationship with Social Identity

Abstract

This study investigated the intricate relationship between food culture and social identity using a mixed-methods experimental design that integrated ethnographic insights with quantitative analysis. Data were collected from 400 participants across three regions, supplemented with interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation. The quantitative findings revealed generational disparities in food practices, showing a significant decline in traditional food consumption and recipe transmission among younger cohorts. Regression analysis confirmed that food identity indicators—including traditional culinary engagement, hybrid identity ratios, and belonging scores—were significant predictors of social identity, while correlation matrices highlighted strong associations between cultural practices and perceived belonging. Longitudinal analysis demonstrated that while traditional food practices have declined over two decades, hybridized culinary forms have increased, reflecting adaptation to globalization.

Qualitative results enriched these findings, emphasizing that food rituals, festivals, and symbolic acts of cooking remain crucial spaces for reinforcing community identity and resisting cultural homogenization. The analysis also revealed regional variations, with communities that emphasized food festivals and cultural tourism exhibiting higher belonging indices and stronger resilience against identity erosion. Conversely, urbanized populations demonstrated hybridized food identities shaped by media exposure and globalized food trends. These findings collectively highlight food culture as both a site of vulnerability and resilience, capable of sustaining cultural memory while also generating new, hybridized forms of identity. The study concludes that recognizing the role of food in shaping identity can inform cultural policy, education, and community engagement strategies, ensuring that culinary traditions continue to foster social cohesion and cultural sustainability in a globalized world.