Working Group on Food Research
Food Encounters: Emplacement and Ethics in Everyday Life
Call for Papers
SIEF 25th International Ethnological Food Research Conference ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 15–18 September 2026
The dinner table is a daily point of convergence—a site of routine practice, yet also a setting for some of our most meaningful interactions with close companions. Food plays a role in a wide range of social interactions—whether with app-based food couriers or through shared meals with spouses, whether in practical terms or as expressions of our values and beliefs. When closely examined, these food-related encounters offer a window into broader questions of sociability, economy, multiculturalism, politics, migration, heritagisation, and the questions on the Anthropocene. The 25th Conference of the SIEF Food Research Group warmly invites contributions that share ethnographic insights into everyday food encounters.
The goal of our upcoming conference is to shed light specifically on two types of food encounters:
- Commensal spaces. While food can be divisive, it also fosters conviviality and may serve as a bridge across significant class and cultural divides—particularly evident in today’s urban encounters. In recent years, the concept of conviviality has gained increasing popularity as a way to highlight micro-level, place-based relationships in which individuals from diverse backgrounds and interests strive to find common ground in everyday life. These concepts highlight day-to-day interactions through which individuals engage with one another. Restaurants, bars, bakeries, farmers' markets, and even doorsteps have become everyday sites where conviviality comes to life.
- Food is not merely sustenance, but a dynamic site of ideological negotiation—reflecting tensions between tradition and change, identity and aspiration, consumption and sustainability. Every food-related choice we make are shaped by a range of ideological encounters, from debates around dietary ethics to the commercialization of traditional cuisines and the politics of food branding. We are particularly interested in explorations of food-related ideological encounters with heritage—and their implications in place-making and identity-building, social engineering and diplomacy—and sustainability—including practices such as ethical sourcing, climate-conscious diets, and veganism. At the same time, we welcome explorations of historical and other forms of food-related ideological engagement, recognizing that the politics of food extend across both time and place.
Submission Guidelines
Please submit a title, an abstract (maximum 300 words), and a short biography (maximum 100 words).
Deadline for submissions: January 15, 2026
Notification of acceptance: By the end of February 2026
Questions and submissions should be sent to: sief-food2026(at)zrc-sazu.si
Participation Fee
The conference fee will not surpass 100 EUR. Reduced rates will be available for selected students and independent, precarious, or under-supported scholars.
Format
Please note that the conference will take place entirely in person.
