Eating Together in the Twenty-First Century: Social Challenges, Community Values, Individual Wellbeing

This book provides in-depth perspectives on communal food and dining practices. In doing so, it challenges less sustainable lifestyles that are encouraged by a social system based on unlimited economic growth.

In considering the diverse societal settings in which individuals and communities eat, the book offers opportunities to reflect on the concept of belongingness, or the lack of it, when eating. It examines what, how, and why we eat together and considers what the future of our food and eating may look like. A wide range of themes are explored, with examples from Finland, Algeria, Europe, and Asia drawing on topics such as and cases for interdisciplinary research, such as environmental impact, social inclusion, happiness, health, and well-being, to name a few of the areas where the importance of eating together is stressed across disciplines. The book explores the lived experience of diners and the contexts in which commensality takes place in the family circle and in communities. It emphasises how the practice of eating together plays a crucial role in satisfying deep-seated social needs.

The book bridges the gap between science, governance, professional practice, and everyday dieters to provide hands-on benefits and insights. It will be of interest to researchers and policymakers in the areas of food studies, food policy, cultural studies, gastronomy tourism, psychology, global health, religion, and spirituality.

Tamas Lestar is as Senior Lecturer in Business Management. He holds a PhD in management and sustainability from the University of Essex. For several years, he has been investigating spiritual communities and practices in the context of dietary change and sustainability transitions. Tamas taught qualitative research methods, new venture creation, social innovation and other management and organisation modules internationally, including in China. His research interest include: Sustainability Transitions, CO2 transitions, Social Practice Theory, Post-structuralism; Political Discourse Theory, Ethnography, Dietary change; Veganism; Conviviality (eating together); Degrowth / Postgrowth economy (New Economics), Sharing (economy); Job-share; Reduced working hours, Spirituality, Religion & Pro-environmental practice, Spiritual leadership and organisational hierarchies, Transformative learning; Second / Third-order learning, Eco-communities; Eco-farms; Eco-tours, Agency for change, East Africa, Asia.

Manuela Pilato is a Senior Lecturer in Business Management. She holds a PhD in Agrifood Business. She has been working in research and management positions in different European universities in the Agribusiness and EU policy sector, including the University of Catania (Italy), the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the University of Bucharest (Romania). Since 2014, she has been working for the University of Winchester within the Faculty of Business, Law and Sport, expanding her research and teaching interests in Responsible Management, Sustainable Development and Global Issues. In 2017 she also joined the Politics and Society team in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, as Senior Lecturer in Politics. She has extensive research experience and robust analysis testified by participation in conferences, international networks, publications in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes in the Agribusiness; Environmental and Sustainability issues. Her current research interests include Agrifood management; Sustainability and Environmental management and European and global environmental, food and health issues.

Hugues Séraphin is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism, Hospitality and Events. He joined Oxford Brookes Business School in January 2023. Hugues holds a PhD from the University of Perpignan (Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, France). His current research interests include: Sustainable Tourism / Events;Tourism (and Events) in Post-Colonial and Post-Conflict Destinations; Children in Tourism, Hospitality and Events and Tourism Education.