“This is My kingdom”: Inside the Kitchen Spaces of Lebanese Australian Women

Abstract

ABSTRACT Migrants’ homemaking practices create a series of spatial inscriptions within their domestic environments, leaving behind a unique echo of cultural and personal history. Such spatial imprints, when approached through an architectural lens, become crucial in understanding the multifaceted nature of the migrant experience of home. One specific area of the migrant home that offers rich insights into this phenomenon is the kitchen. Kitchens are often the heart of the household, where family life unfolds and where the synthesis of cultural and social life takes place. For the Lebanese Australian women in this study, these kitchens serve as significant locations where their culture and identities contribute to Australian domestic architecture. These contributions are unique but unrecognised. This paper explores the transformation of suburban kitchens and the diverse behaviours that mirror the women’s various roles as mothers, household managers, cooks, teachers, housewives, and “Sit al byt” (the lady of the house). It delves into the daily experiences of 16 Lebanese Australian women, examining kitchens as hubs for food production, leisure, household management, and symbols of communication, and recognising how food production extends beyond the confines of the kitchen in Lebanese Australian homes.