Khat, community, and cultural expression: the performative experiences of young British-Somali men

This research examines how understandings of identity are formed through the ritual of khat-chewing, a popular leisure activity among British-Somali men, and how this ritual shapes diasporic imaginations. The study conceptualises khat as an embodied aesthetic practice, highlighting its role in fostering community, belonging, and cultural expression. Ethnographic fieldwork within one of Britain’s largest Somali communities reveals how khat use facilitates connections to Somaliland and Somali culture while contributing to the formation of ‘new ethnicities’ at the intersection of migration and nationhood. The findings challenge essentialist notions of identity by illustrating its fluidity. Additionally, the study sheds light on the complex negotiations of ‘Britishness’ and ‘Somaliness’ that young men navigate through the practice, reflecting their heritage and contemporary diasporic experiences.