Food Stories: A Narrative-Based Approach to Analyzing International Students, Food, and Community
Suzanne Rintoul and Brooke Pratt, Conestoga Social Innovation Lab
This report explores the relationship between food practices and community for international students at Conestoga College. The research used a mixed-methods approach consisting of community consultations, a student survey, and a series of writing events to identify student attitudes and priorities related to cooking, eating, and their sense of belonging. Including writing events allowed the project to reveal insights not only into how food impacts community for international students, but also how narrative inquiry as a research methodology can elicit qualitative data that contributes in significant ways to an understanding of social issues currently impacting students.
We found that food plays an important role in the lives of international students at the college as a representation of cultural heritage, a connection to family, and a potential pathway to community and/or belonging. We also found that while international students report some dissatisfaction with the cost and availability of culturally appropriate food on campus, eating on campus is a significant source of community and belonging for them as newcomers. International students report facing food insecurity more often than domestic students, and they would benefit from more awareness of local food support services, just as these services would benefit from more knowledge about student needs. This report thus recommends that more affordable and/or free food that reflects the diverse cultural traditions of international students, as well as more food-related events, be made available on campus in order to strengthen food-based community and foster belonging.