The phenomenon of commensality and its social functions: a preliminary discussion

Abstract

Commensality is commonly described as the act of eating together/with others, sharing a table or a meal, or eating and drinking together around the same table. Despite being associated with the satiation of a physiological need, commensality is not a mechanical act, given the different meanings and social functions it can assume. This article aims to identify, from the current academic literature, the main social functions performed by commensality. It was developed from a narrative literature review based on the contributions of Georg Simmel ([1910], 2004), Claude Grignon (2001), Jean-Jacques Boutaud ([2004], 2011), Henrique Carneiro (2005), Leonardo Boff (2006) and Claude Fischler (2011). The analysis allowed us to identify 21 social functions of commensality, which, from the perspective of the socializing force of commensality and the general function of structuring social groups, could be condensed into six main functions, with emphasis on the creation and strengthening of social bonds.