Hunger, Faith, and Symbolic Governance: Evaluating Symbolic Repertoires among Food-Insecure Women in India and Albania

Structural vulnerabilities, such as widespread food insecurity, create conditions in which women rely heavily on informal, community- and faith-based networks for survival. These networks not only provide material support but also function as sites of symbolic governance, deploying narratives, rituals, moral frameworks, and culturally resonant practices that shape identity, perceptions, and political orientation. Political theorists and sociologists have long emphasized the role of symbols in structuring meaning and legitimizing authority (Tilly, 1995; Edelman, 1964), and recent scholarship in symbolic policy demonstrates how actors use narratives strategically during crises (Faucher & Boussaguet, 2024). Participatory storytelling has emerged as a critical mechanism through which communities co-construct meaning and influence collective perceptions (Trevisan, Vaughan, & Vromen, 2025). This study adopts a comparative, multi-method approach, combining semi-structured interviews, ethnographic observation, narrative collection, and perception-oriented survey tools to trace: (1) the construction and deployment of symbolic repertoires by faith-based and community actors, (2) the reception and adaptation of these repertoires among women reliant on informal welfare networks, and (3) the subsequent effects on political attitudes, identity, and ideological orientation. It also examines how digital platforms facilitate the sharing of personal narratives, allowing women to co-create symbolic repertoires that influence perceptions and policy discourse. From an International Relations perspective, this research highlights how non-state actors in structurally vulnerable contexts contribute to governance, norm formation, and legitimacy across borders. By situating India and Albania within a comparative framework, it explores how local symbolic practices intersect with broader transnational norms and policy discourses, providing insights into how ideational strategies of non-state actors can shape both domestic and international governance processes. Methodologically, the study proposes an innovative framework for evaluating symbolic repertoires, integrating qualitative narrative data with perception-based indexes to systematically assess their influence on political behavior, ideological alignment, and normative expectations. Conceptually, it extends symbolic policy frameworks by exploring how material vulnerability intersects with symbolic action, illustrating how non-state actors perform governance functions typically associated with formal institutions. This research contributes to scholarship on symbolic governance, public policy, gendered vulnerability, and comparative politics, offering insights for International Relations and development studies. By linking material deprivation, narrative mobilization, and symbolic repertoires, it illuminates an under explored dimension of governance where non-state actors shape cognition, affect, and policy-relevant outcomes across international contexts.