Institut für Sozialwissenschaften des Agrarbereichs

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    Food-related well-being in times of crisis: A study on Syrian refugees in Germany
    (2024) Al-Sayed, Lubana; Bieling, Claudia
    Forced migration, stemming from conflict, persecution, or other compelling circumstances, often thrusts individuals into unfamiliar territories, presenting a multitude of challenges. These challenges extend beyond mere physical displacement, disrupting social, economic, and cultural norms. The Syrian forced migration following the Arab Spring in 2011 emerged as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, displacing 14 million people from their homes. Throughout their journey to safety, refugees encounter peril, uncertainty, trauma, and loss. Even upon arrival at their destination, whether in neighbouring countries or distant lands, refugees confront intricate systems of aid, bureaucracy, and integration, all while grappling with the profound impacts of their experiences. Among the array of challenges faced, food insecurity emerges as a critical concern, affecting not only physical health but also overall well-being. Moreover, when migrating to host countries vastly different from their native regions, individuals encounter unique obstacles in accessing local food environments and possess limited knowledge of available food resources and services. These challenges may be exacerbated by language barriers, currency disparities, and unfamiliarity with local food products. Collectively, these factors significantly shape refugees’ overall well-being, particularly concerning food. However, despite the significance of food-related well-being, substantial gaps persist in the literature. There is a notable lack of understanding regarding refugees’ subjective perceptions of food-related well-being, which are deeply rooted in their experiences during conflict, migration, and post-arrival in the host country. Additionally, little is known about how refugees acquire food-related knowledge when relocating to host countries vastly different from their own, and the role of this knowledge in enhancing their well-being and that of their relatives in crisis areas. Therefore, this research aims to address these knowledge gaps by exploring the hedonic, psychological, and social well-being of refugees concerning food, and by investigating the food-related knowledge networks in which refugees are involved. To guide this investigation, a conceptual framework is developed, integrating the three dimensions of well-being (hedonic, psychological, and social) with the three motivations for food intake (functional, symbolic, and hedonic). The empirical work is conducted in two periods, August to October 2017 and April to June 2018, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods among Syrian refugees in Stuttgart, Germany. This work comprises a total of three research articles, with the first two being published in peer-reviewed international journals and the third one submitted. The first article (chapter 3) describes the hedonic dimension of well-being, specifically focusing on the affective and cognitive components within a dietary context. The main hypothesis posits that hedonic well-being is augmented when food successfully fulfils both its functional and hedonic goals. The findings revealed that interviewees associated food with a range of positive and negative emotions. Negative affects were predominantly linked to the challenges the respondents faced, such as sadness stemming from family dispersion, nostalgia, psychological discomfort, as well as the conditions of their current living situations, such as stress, fatigue, anxiety, and loneliness. Associations between food and life satisfaction were found to be intertwined with various factors, including food availability and accessibility, physical health and bodily functioning, emotions, social interactions, and overall life satisfaction. Furthermore, a good and happy food-related existence was linked to various characteristics at each stage of food interaction (purchasing, preparing, eating and post-eating). Adhering to a nutritious diet with the aim of improving physical health, enhancing psychological well-being through positive emotions, and fostering social support and stability emerged as primary factors in improving refugees’ well-being. Equally significant were the sensory experiences of eating and the pleasurable emotions experienced when sharing meals with others. The second article (Chapter 4) delves into the psychological and social dimensions of food-related well-being among refugees. It highlights how food-related well-being varies across different stages of the migration journey—specifically, during wartime, along the migration route, and after arriving in the host country. During wartime, the availability and accessibility of food are crucial factors. Amidst the challenges of conflict, ensuring access to food becomes paramount for survival. Conversely, during the migration journey itself, food often takes a backseat to the primary objective of reaching a safe destination. Basic necessities become the priority for refugees as they navigate their way to safety. Upon arrival in the host country, various psychological and social factors come into play, significantly influencing refugees’ food-related well-being, such as living conditions, the local food environment, and the social practices surrounding food. This article highlights the profound connection between food and one’s cultural roots, which serves to mitigate the adverse effects of exile on individuals’ lives. The third paper (Chapter 5) is motivated by the insights gleaned from the findings of the first and second articles, which highlight the critical role of sharing food-related knowledge in bolstering refugee food security and improving their overall well-being in relation to food. As refugees encounter a new food environment upon resettling in a host country, they actively engage in constructing and restructuring their social networks to obtain vital information about available resources in their new surroundings. Therefore, the third article explores the food-related knowledge networks that refugees are part of, shedding light on their structure and their role in enhancing their well-being. The findings revealed two types of networks: those within the same ethnic groups and those encompassing multiple ethnicities (primarily Germans and Arabs), exhibiting significant differences in network measures. Furthermore, it identified the primary sources of information, the content of the shared knowledge, and its mode of transmission. Additionally, the paper suggests measures to enhance the transmission of food-related knowledge among refugees and between refugees and their families in crisis areas. These three articles were collectively further discussed in the concluding section (Chapter 6), where I assessed the connections of the proposed framework integrating the various dimensions of well-being with food goals. This assessment drew upon the empirical findings of this research, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between food-related well-being and the multifaceted aspects of refugees’ experiences. Furthermore, I proposed a new definition for food-related well-being in the context of conflict and displacement. Finally, I examined the main factors influencing refugees’ food-related well-being, offering insights into potential avenues for intervention and support.