Our aim is to continue this research through the formation of study groups in different countries.

Moving from the first investigation which lead to the production of the “cookbook” and the second investigation which will also be finalized in a book publication, we now wish to extend the research –both methodologically and thematically– by looking into the social impact on territory, including research on food and culinary practices in prison as a form of psycho-social redefinition on the part of the inmates.

This redefinition also carries the functions of a symbolic exit from prison and the reconquering of a space within the family; a relationship that is often exacerbated by distances and other problematics (especially in the case of maximum security). The subject of the research remains the culinary practices of inmates and its effects on their identity and on their roles, inside and outside of prison, particularly in relation to the family of origin.

In countries where cooking in cells is not permitted (as in the case of Spain), the focus hinges on the relationship between the prisoner and what s/he eats, both in terms of that which is offered by the institution and that which is purchased in the vending machines. Furthermore, a look into the culinary practices of female inmates has, from a first exploratory investigation, proven to be highly interesting: it appears that cooking occurs less frequently in these cells than in those of their male counterparts. This may be interpreted as a form of rejection of the penal condition.

 

The aims of the research will be:

– to analyze the process of approaching and engaging in culinary practices and the socio-cultural changes that the adoption of these produce among the inmates involved in the study

– to analyze the development of interest in relation to culinary practices, on the part of the inmates, as a tool for familial dialogue and a means to maintain family relationships and attain social redemption

– to demonstrate that, in prison, the construction and discovery of a new dignity also occurs through spontaneous mechanisms of identity construction, including culinary practices and the eating of self-prepared dishes