Ashli Stokes

Scotland Visiting Professorship Award, University of Edinburgh, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - Communication, Journalism & Related Programs

Much is made in the U.S. about “Scots-Irish” identity, where real (or imagined) connections to Scottish culture provide moments of celebration, particularly in the Appalachian region. Ashli’s Fulbright project will explore how Scots talk about their identity through foods that may be seen in the ways that Appalachians, past and present, talk about them. By using food as a lens to better understand contemporary Appalachian American and Scottish identity, it will theorise implications for regionalism, sectarianism, and nationalism in today’s world. At the University of Edinburgh Ashli will conduct fieldwork, analysing food organisations, those serving traditional and contemporary Scottish cuisine, and consumers. Joining the University’s FRIED network of food researchers, she plans to cook for its graduate students, inviting them to blog along with her about the nation’s cultural identity as seen through its food. In addition to bringing traditional Southern Appalachian ingredients in her suitcase, Ashli’s family will also experience Scotland’s unique culture by eating their way around the country and talking to its people.