Gender principles of existence in Sicily (using the example of a local alimentary culture)

Abstract (English)

Sicilian culture is still marked by gender labeling, reflecting the traditional division of local society into male (dominant) and female (subordinate) spheres and the historical dominance of the spirit of phallocentrism in it (following the theory of phallocentrism by Jacques Derrida (Derrida 2014:291)). This is confirmed by the genderlects preserved in central Sicily, but especially by the widespread "gender labeling" of the region's alimentary culture. Thus, in addition to the existence of food products that folk tradition interprets exclusively as "masculine" ("strong"), the ancient institution of popular street cuisine, male and forbidden for women, in which only men cook (sell) and buy (consume) (Giallombardo 2003) has been preserved. This cuisine is localized, in the most archaic, popular neighborhoods of Sicilian cities, in the areas of the so-called "historical markets" (food profile) (another ancient male institution where, according to tradition, exclusively men sell and buy) (Ariolo 2005: 45-61; Bonanzinga 2007:85-118), there is a certain menu, the cultural codes of which dishes (their symbolism, connotations), when deciphered, make it possible to understand the reasons for their narrow gender determinism. Most of these dishes are still unavailable to women today. But if exceptions are made for "ethnically-own" women (for example, a number of street cuisine dishes are allowed for women in July, the month when representatives of numerous Sicilian diasporas come to visit Sicily; also, the ban on certain "male" dishes is lifted for women visiting prisoners – we are talking about street cuisine points in the vicinity of prisons in Sicilian cities, etc.), then for "strangers" (tourists; foreigners) the taboo remains categorical and absolute. Thus, these alimentary gender-tinged cultural phenomena indicate both the strong archaism, traditionalism and conservatism of Sicilian culture, as well as the long-standing traditions of gender division of society, dating back to ancient male unions and women's communities.