The Significance of Food Sharing in Anthropology

Running head: Anthropology
Anthropology
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

2Anthropology
Introduction:
Food is not only seen as a means to satisfy the biological hunger of humans, but the
culture that has developed with eating together or through the concept of dining in the same
table is actually a means of expressing social behaviour, connectedness and issues of
expressing gratitude and showing mutual respect. As the anthropologist Maurice Bloch
(1999, p.133) rightly claims that sharing of food is one the major way of expressing the
connectedness to other people, it had always been a ritual practiced among societies to
increase the interconnectedness and bonding among individuals and among groups.
With respect to the above given notion of food sharing as a means of social
connection but it is also a ritual to honour among several communities around the world, it
has to be understood that food binds people with each other and has very less alternative to
promote social connectivity and emotion. In fact sharing of food is not an activity of eating
but is a social construct associated with the notion of delivering a message of shared belief,
connectivity and emotion. All communities have the culture of organising feasts or events
that are dining in activity but have a different purpose to achieve. With this context the book
“Food and Faith: A theology of Eating” authored by Norman Wizha (2018, pp. 112-150),
explores the fundamental significance of eating collectively. He rightly claims that the
association of food to theology is a long tradition that has been passed down through the
various occasions that are celebrated throughout the year are just examples of associating the
collective eating ritual (Wirzba, 2018, pp. 198-260).
Since the time of the ‘Last Supper’ till date the association of food sharing habits or
rituals are more than just a ritual that is being performed. The works of Ann Means, Kate
Mackenzie Davey and Philip Dewe (2015, p.306-308) in exploring the role of collective
eating in developing cooperation, connection and association among different cultures or