The ecology of plant ingredients, food heritage, and adaptation among Syrian, Afghan, and Egyptian Coptic diasporas in Northwestern Italy.

IF 3.7 2区 医学 Q1 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
Mousaab Alrhmoun, Naji Sulaiman, Laura Longhi, Ajmal Khan Manduzai, Abdullah Faiz, Francesca Manzetti, Chiara Gasperini, Alice Peruzzo, Dauro M Zocchi, Andrea Pieroni
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: This study investigates how migration affects the culinary practices of Syrian, Afghan, and Egyptian Coptic communities living in Northwest Italy, specifically focusing on how these groups preserve, adapt, or abandon traditional foodways in a new socio-cultural environment. The objective is to understand the role of food in maintaining cultural identity and navigating integration in the host country.

Methods: Using a multidisciplinary approach, the research combines semi-structured interviews with 64 participants. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.4 and R 4.4.2. Descriptive and frequency analyses summarized demographic and food-related patterns, while Fisher's exact tests and logistic regression assessed differences and predictors of traditional food maintenance. Qualitative data from interviews were thematically analyzed using an inductive approach, highlighting key themes such as adaptation, resilience, and cultural continuity.

Results: The findings reveal distinct culinary patterns shaped by each group's cultural and ecological heritage, Syrian horticultural traditions, Afghan pastoral legacies, and the Coptic plant-based diet. While culinary resilience, adaptation, and loss occur across all groups, the extent varies. Influencing factors include ingredient availability, economic constraints, and levels of social integration. Age, gender, religion, and migration history further shape food behavior.

Conclusions: This research underscores the dynamic relationship between migration and food, highlighting how culinary practices serve as a site of both cultural preservation and adaptation in diaspora contexts.

意大利西北部叙利亚、阿富汗和埃及科普特散居者的植物成分、食物遗产和适应性生态学。
背景:本研究调查了移民如何影响生活在意大利西北部的叙利亚、阿富汗和埃及科普特社区的烹饪实践,特别关注这些群体如何在新的社会文化环境中保存、适应或放弃传统的食物方式。目的是了解食物在维持文化认同和引导东道国融入社会方面的作用。方法:采用多学科方法,对64名参与者进行半结构化访谈。采用SAS 9.4和R 4.4.2对数据进行分析。描述性和频率分析总结了人口统计和食物相关的模式,而Fisher的精确检验和逻辑回归评估了传统食物维持的差异和预测因素。访谈中的定性数据采用归纳方法进行主题分析,突出了适应、恢复力和文化连续性等关键主题。结果:研究结果揭示了每个群体的文化和生态遗产、叙利亚园艺传统、阿富汗田园遗产和科普特植物性饮食所形成的独特烹饪模式。虽然所有群体都有烹饪韧性、适应性和损失,但程度各不相同。影响因素包括原料供应、经济约束和社会一体化水平。年龄、性别、宗教和移民历史进一步塑造了饮食行为。结论:本研究强调了移民与食物之间的动态关系,强调了烹饪实践如何在散居背景下作为文化保存和适应的场所。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
7.30
自引率
16.70%
发文量
66
审稿时长
>12 weeks
期刊介绍: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine publishes original research focusing on cultural perceptions of nature and of human and animal health. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine invites research articles, reviews and commentaries concerning the investigations of the inextricable links between human societies and nature, food, and health. Specifically, the journal covers the following topics: ethnobotany, ethnomycology, ethnozoology, ethnoecology (including ethnopedology), ethnogastronomy, ethnomedicine, ethnoveterinary, as well as all related areas in environmental, nutritional, and medical anthropology. Research focusing on the implications that the inclusion of humanistic, cultural, and social dimensions have in understanding the biological word is also welcome, as well as its potential projections in public health-centred, nutritional, and environmental policies.
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