Raciality as the foundation of racism in the food culture of traditional communities in Bahia

Abstract

Raciality refers to the social process of classifying human beings into races, which has been fundamental in justifying the domination of peoples and cultures and in shaping power relations with economic objectives. Traditional communities base their ways of living and existing on a unique sense of communion and are targets of actions and violence that express the racism sustaining social relations in the capitalist world. The objectives of this article are to discuss the process of food racialization in traditional communities in Bahia and its impact on the lives and health of their members. This is an analysis of two multicampus studies conducted in three traditional communities located in the state of Bahia. Data collection methods included participant observation, focus groups, conversation circles, and semi-structured interviews. The information was analyzed using content analysis, based on theoretical frameworks related to racism as expressed in food culture. The results showed that the racialization process is intrinsically linked to the lived experiences of traditional communities in various aspects of life, particularly in food culture. The ways these communities respond to challenges related to traditional and ancestral consumption patterns highlight their fundamental role in confronting racism.