Food and Memory - International Interdisciplinary Conference on May 15-16, 2025 in Gdańsk, Poland

CFP: 

​Researchers have long confirmed the importance of studying food-related issues in the past and in the present-day world. During our interdisciplinary conference, we are going to concentrate on the relationships between food and memory. In what sense – and in what circumstances – can food be regarded asan identity-building factor? What role does it play in shaping our individual and collective memories? How can food studies deepen our knowledge on the social and cultural aspects of our lives? Why are food memories so often related to important experiences of individuals and societies?

            We would like to discuss these and many other questions from a broad perspective, referring to the anthropological, psychological, sociological, historical, and esthetical research on food and memory. That is why we invite researchers representing various academic fields: anthropology, history, psychology, psychoanalysis, psychiatry, sociology, politics, philosophy, economics, law, memory studies, consciousness studies, literary studies, theatre studies, film studies, migration studies, gender studies, postcolonial studies, medical sciences, and cognitive sciences, to name w few.

            Different forms of presentations are encouraged, including case studies, theoretical inquiries, personal reflections, problem-oriented arguments, and comparative analyses.

            We will be happy to hear from both experienced scholars and young academics at the beginning of their careers, as well as doctoral and graduate students. We also invite all persons interested in participating in the conference as listeners, without giving a presentation.

Our repertoire of suggested topics includes but is not restricted to:

​Individual experiences:

Food memories

Individual food preferences

Food and identity

“You are what you eat”

Food and emotions

Food and affects

Food and abjection

Food and sickness

Food and mental health

Food and the materiality of memory

Food and nostalgia

Food and/as trauma

Food and ecstasy

Food and/as epiphany

Food in dreams

    2. Interpersonal experiences:

Food and love

Food and sex

Food and caregiving

Food and poisoning

Food as a tool of communication

   3. Collective experiences:

Food, memory and tradition

Food habits

Food ceremonies and rituals

Food taboos

Food and religions

Food and language

Food symbolism

Food and cultural/social identity

Culinary nationalisms

Multiculturalism of contemporary cuisines

Food and fashion

Food and social status

Food and inequalities

Food and genocides

Postmemory of food

4. Esthetical experiences:

Food and memory in literature, film, theatre and visuals arts

Food-related literary and cinematic genres

Food in the media

Food esthetics in popular culture

Good taste

Please submit abstracts (no longer than 300 words) of your proposed 20-minute presentations, together with a short biographical note, by 05 May 2025 to: [email protected] 

For all details please visit our website.