Caring & Belonging: how the biological need to connect shapes food choices in consumer acculturation.
(A2024-119827)

AUTHORS

Gabriela Lima, UFES; Juliana Maria Magalhães Christino, UFMG

ABSTRACT

This study examines the acculturation strategies that Syrian immigrants residing in Brazil perform through food consumption. By adopting an approach that integrates Evolutionary Psychology and the Theory of Basic Values, we conducted a series of 19 laddering interviews to explore the cognitive structure of the consumption of home, host, and Global food. Our findings revealed that immigrants negotiate cultural meanings by navigating thought food choices that are influenced by fundamental motives of affiliation and Kin Care. The research highlights the dynamic nature of acculturation, showing how immigrants adapt to their new environment by balancing preservation of former social ties with construction of new ones. This work offers insights into consumer behavior in multicultural contexts and provides valuable information for policymakers and marketers in culturally diverse markets, especially in the context of the Syrian refugee crisis.