Though many may put little thought into it, food plays an important role in dictating and contextualizing many social interactions. Simple dates over coffee lead to fancy anniversary dinners, baked goods shared around an office support the camaraderie needed to power through tough projects, a simple offer of tea or sharing of a snack can lead to a lifelong friendship. Food creates relationships, and provides a relatively simple avenue towards maintaining and strengthening those relationships through the course of one’s life.
The exact ways food can be used in the context of various social settings varies from country to country, culture to culture. The previous examples are ones commonly seen in America, though some are more universal. The various pieces of media we consumed this semester, primarily A Thousand Splendid Suns, Persepolis, I’jaam, and An Israeli Love Story all show ways that food is a part of community, status, rebellion, and love. Each one shows distinctly different types of relationships, and how sharing of food (or not) has grown and shaped them.