Food and Social Life in Puglia: A Comparison Family Food Worlds in Northern and Southern Italy

This thesis explores the role of food in northern and southern Italian culture. My goal is to point out the cultural differences between northern and southern Italy through the lens of food. This thesis also explains the geographical, historical and economic factors that have shaped modern Italian family food worlds. Finally, the research examines the effect of European Union food policy in Italy. It specifically focuses on whether or not the traditions of food production and consumption habits in northern and southern Italy are altered by European Union policies

Sibling Conflict and Caregiving for Aging Parents

This dissertation presents the results of a grounded theory study of the key factors of sibling conflict when caregiving for an aging parent. Following interviews with 30 participants, I conducted initial coding, focused coding and theoretical coding, which led to the development of a theory that explains the relationship of conflict factors such as: beliefs & values, feelings & emotions, roles & expectations, and behaviors & responses. The dissertation includes a discussion of how birth order theories, power theories and psychodynamic theories apply to sibling conflict. In addition, I discuss how the findings apply to conflict resolution skills and offer recommendations of how emotional intelligence, reflective listening, interest-based problem solving, assertion and personal reflections may expand people’s capacity to improve how they manage sibling conflict during the caregiving process

Food and social life in Puglia: A comparison of family food worlds in northern and southern Italy

This thesis explores the role of food in northern and southern Italian culture. My goal is to point out the cultural differences between northern and southern Italy through the lens of food. This thesis also explains the geographical, historical and economic factors that have shaped modern Italian family food worlds. Finally, the research examines the effect of European Union food policy in Italy. It specifically focuses on whether or not the traditions of food production and consumption habits in northern and southern Italy are altered by European Union policies