Changing Roles and Contexts: Symbolic Interactionism in the Sharing of Food and Eating Practices between Remote, Intergenerational Family Members

Cooking and eating together is a prominent social experience amongst families. Older adults and their adult children who live apart often communicate about these experiences to stay aware of each other’s health and wellbeing. In this paper, we examine current practices surrounding the communication of eating habits and meal preparation between older adults and their adult children living apart. We interviewed 18 older parents and nine adult children to understand their experiences. While most participants found the sharing of eating experiences to be rewarding and enlightening of family health behaviors, family roles and contexts could create tensions around this type of conversation. Building on the lens of symbolic interactionism, we examine how changing roles and contexts influence the conversation of eating and meal preparation and how participants manage these tensions. We discuss future design opportunities to support family collaboration, accounting for the transition of roles and contexts.