Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Cross-Cultural Research

Publication Date

8-2026

Keywords

food consumption, table manners, food security, nutrition, commensality, appetite, social cohesion

Abstract

This paper explores how hunger and famine affect various eating habits, including commensal relations within households, shared attitudes toward eating with unfamiliar people, and typical ways of expressing appetite. Drawing on data collected from 124 societies worldwide, it provides a comparative perspective on the influence of food insecurity and nutritional stress on common, everyday eating habits. Analysis shows that chronic nutritional deficiencies and historical experiences with famine are associated with less inclusive, less amiable mealtime behaviors. Discussion offers explanations for the occasional persistence of such patterns despite ample food supply and considers the impact of nutrition alongside other factors likely to affect eating. The study concludes that, while the effects of hunger and famine considered individually appear moderate, their ubiquity attest to traumatic societal effects than often linger for generations despite consistent food availability and adequate nutrition.

Funding Source

This article was published open access thanks to a transformative agreement between Milner Library and Sage Journals.

Comments

First published in Cross-Cultural Research (2026): https://doi.org/10.1177/10693971261494338

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

DOI

10.1177/10693971261494338

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