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From Nonna's Kitchen to the Virtual Table: Preserving and Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage through Social Media - A Case Study of Pasta Grannies
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- Author(s) / Creator(s)
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This study examines the role of social media in preserving and safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH) by looking at the case of Pasta Grannies, a social media channel that features women over 65 who hand-make pasta, a cultural practice that is quickly dying out in Italy. By using intersectional theory, this research uses content analysis, semi-structured interviews, and autoethnography to explore whether social media can help women over 65 overcome barriers they may face in preserving and safeguarding their food-related ICH.
The findings reveal that the women featured in Pasta Grannies face obstacles that stem from the grey divide that prevents them from using social media to share their intangible cultural heritage. The channel helps them overcome these barriers in several ways. Firstly, by respectfully representing the women and giving them autonomy over their stories, the channel actively involves them in the preservation and safeguarding efforts. Secondly, the channel follows best practices in using social media for ICH. Thirdly, the channel has become very popular by connecting with its audience emotionally, making it an effective medium for transmitting ICH. The study fills the gaps in the existing research by employing intersectional theory to investigate an often overlooked demographic, demonstrating the potential of using social media channels like Pasta Grannies to help older women preserve and safeguard their ICH.
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- Date created
- 2023-08-01
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- Type of Item
- Research Material