Conference online (via Zoom platform)

ABOUT CONFERENCE:

​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 as an 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:

​1. 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: conferencememory@gmail.com

The conference language is English.

Note:
As our online conference will be international, we will consider the different time zones of our Participants.
The conference will be held virtually via Zoom. Different forms of presentations (also posters) are available