You are what you Eat

Abstract

This thesis is about identity processes that are involved with the forming and implementation of a local gastronomic “foodprint” of a certain region. I argue that a gastronomic identity is at the same time a reflection of and an influence on people’s personal identities, and the forming and changing of one of them has its influence on the other. The research that is conducted to support this argument has taken place in Sosúa, a vibrant tourist town on the north coast of the Caribbean Island República Dominicana. In this town identity processes are more challenged than in others due to the almost constant presence of foreign tourists. These tourists come with a whole different set of believes, practices and demands, forcing the Sosúans to reevaluate their own identities on a higher frequency than in other cases. Other researches have been conducted on identity processes or food culture within the discipline of cultural anthropology, but the reflective relationship between gastronomic and personal identities has not been studied so far. This thesis will give insight in how people form and reform their identities when these are constantly challenged by others and in how these identities can be used as a commodity to improve a person’s position in a rapidly changing world.