Bring a plate: Facilitating experimentation in The Welcome Dinner Project. Issue 2 (3rd July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Flowers, Rick; Swan, Elaine
• Is Part Of: Studies in the education of adults. Volume 49:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 269
• Page End: 287
• Publication Date: 2017-07-03
• Subjects: Food hospitality activism -- social experimentation -- encounters with difference -- potluck; Adult education -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 374.941
• DOI: 10.1080/02660830.2018.1453117
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0266-0830

Abstract

Abstract: Drawing on in-depth empirical research, we explore a project called The Welcome Dinner (WDP). The WDP aims to bring together 'newly arrived' people and 'established Australians' to meet and 'share stories' over a potluck meal in 'the comfort of their own home'. The purpose is to create meaningful connections, new friendships and social solidarities. In this paper, we focus on the micro-contexts of the dinners and the minute activities and techniques that facilitators use in hosting. Our aim is not to analyse the effects of the project but rather the design and meaning of the activities. As a form of 'designed everyday multiculturalism', focused on welcoming new arrivals to Australia, it takes effort, skill and labour to manage the contact between different cultural groups over organised meals. Thus, facilitators take over the hosting of the lunches and dinners to run activities, which are imagined to lubricate social dynamics and relations, and produce convivial commensal affects and behaviours. Drawing on theories of training activities as embodied and cognitive experimentations, which enable new knowledge practices and social relations, we analyse field notes and interviews about the facilitation, structure and activities at the WDP home dinners.