The Sociology of Food

The Sociology of Food
Author: Jean-Pierre Poulain
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2017-02-09
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1472586212

A classic text about the social study of food, this is the first English language edition of Jean-Pierre Poulain's seminal work. Tracing the history of food scholarship, The Sociology of Food provides an overview of sociological theory and its relevance to the field of food. Divided into two parts, Poulain begins by exploring the continuities and changes in the modern diet. From the effect of globalization on food production and supply, to evolving cultural responses to food – including cooking and eating practices, the management of consumer anxieties, and concerns over obesity and the medicalization of food – the first part examines how changing food practices have shaped and are shaped by wider social trends. The second part provides an overview of the emergence of food as an academic focus for sociologists and anthropologists. Revealing the obstacles that lay in the way of this new field of study, Poulain shows how the discipline was first established and explains its development over the last forty years. Destined to become a key text for students and scholars, The Sociology of Food makes a major contribution to food studies and sociology. This edition features a brand new chapter focusing on the development of food studies in the English-speaking world and a preface, specifically written for the edition.

Introducing the Sociology of Food and Eating

Introducing the Sociology of Food and Eating
Author: Anne Murcott
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2019-02-07
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1350022047

This textbook equips students with the ability to analyze and think critically about contemporary food topics. A thorough introduction to the sociology of food and eating, the book also acts as a primer to the discipline of sociology more generally. Chapters start with a 'common sense' assumption about food which students frequently encounter in their own lives or in the mass media. Topics include family meals, ethnic cuisines, cooking skills and convenience foods, eating out, food waste, and 'overpackaging'. Anne Murcott shows how systematic academic research approaches can allow students to move beyond 'conventional wisdoms' to examine sociological perspectives on food and eating. Key sociological concerns such as class, gender, age, ethnicity, power and identity are also introduced, accompanied by a wide range of examples from around the globe. By the end, readers will be able to think more critically and to apply sociological approaches to questions about food and society. Introducing the Sociology of Food and Eating is an essential introductory textbook for students in sociology and food studies. It provides readers with a solid basis for success in their studies - and with a new understanding of their own attitudes to food and eating.

The Sociology of Food and Agriculture

The Sociology of Food and Agriculture
Author: Michael Carolan
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 367
Release: 2016-02-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317368622

In this second edition of The Sociology of Food and Agriculture, students are provided with a substantially revised and updated introductory text to this emergent field. The book begins with the recent development of agriculture under capitalism and neo-liberal regimes, and the transformation of farming and peasant agriculture from a small-scale, family-run way of life to a globalized system. Topics such as the global hunger and obesity challenges, GM foods, and international trade and subsidies are assessed as part of the world food economy. The final section concentrates on themes of sustainability, food security, and food sovereignty. The book concludes on a positive note, examining alternative agri-food movements aimed at changing foodscapes at levels from the local to the global. With increased coverage of the financialization of food, food and culture, gender, ethnicity and justice, food security, and food sovereignty, the book is perfect for students with little or no background in sociology and is also suitable for more advanced courses as a comprehensive primer. All chapters include learning objectives, suggested discussion questions, and recommendations for further reading to aid student learning.

Food and Society

Food and Society
Author: Amy E. Guptill
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 357
Release: 2013-04-03
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0745663907

This timely and engaging text offers students a social perspective on food, food practices, and the modern food system. It engages readers’ curiosity by highlighting several paradoxes: how food is both mundane and sacred, reveals both distinction and conformity, and, in the contemporary global era, comes from everywhere but nowhere in particular. With a social constructionist framework, the book provides an empirically rich, multi-faceted, and coherent introduction to this fascinating field. Each chapter begins with a vivid case study, proceeds through a rich discussion of research insights, and ends with discussion questions and suggested resources. Chapter topics include food’s role in socialization, identity, work, health and social change, as well as food marketing and the changing global food system. In synthesizing insights from diverse fields of social inquiry, the book addresses issues of culture, structure, and social inequality throughout. Written in a lively style, this book will be both accessible and revealing to beginning and intermediate students alike.

Sociology on the Menu

Sociology on the Menu
Author: Alan Beardsworth
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2002-09-11
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1134823169

Sociology on the Menu is an accessible introduction to the sociology of food. Highlighting the social and cultural dimensions of the human food system, from production to consumption, it encourages us to consider new ways of thinking about the apparently mundane, everyday act of eating. The main areas covered include: * The origins of human subsistence and the development of the modern food system * Food, the family and eating out * Diet, health and the body image * The meanings of meat and vegetarianism. Sociology on the Menu provides a comprehensive overview of the literature, particularly helpful in this interdisciplinary field. It focuses on key texts and studies to help students identify major concerns and themes for further study. It urges us to re-appraise the taken for granted and familiar experiences of selecting, preparing and sharing food and to see our own habits and choices, preferences and aversions in their broader cultural context.

A Sociology of Food and Nutrition

A Sociology of Food and Nutrition
Author: John Germov
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 360
Release: 1999
Genre: Cooking
ISBN:

This innovative book examines the social context of food and nutrition by exploring the socio-cultural, political, economic, and philosophical factors that influence food production and consumption.

The Sociology of Food and Eating

The Sociology of Food and Eating
Author: Anne Murcott
Publisher: Gower Publishing Company, Limited
Total Pages: 216
Release: 1983
Genre: Medical
ISBN:

Abstract: Seventeen essays on the sociological significance of food and eating in Britain are presented. The focus is to examine the way the British relate culinary practices, menus and manners, and beliefs and concepts about food values to the social aspects of eating. Many of these practices, anthropologists note, are associated with the sociocultural patterns of specific groups. Four chapters examine food ideologies, 2 explore lines of thinking, and the remainder look at research related to food and eating. The 2 major recurring themes are that eating is a moral issue (nutritional values are equated to social values and health) and that food selection and preparation reflect social structure. A bibliography and index are included. (kbc).

The Practice of Eating

The Practice of Eating
Author: Alan Warde
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2016-01-19
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0745691749

This book reconstructs and extends sociological approaches to the understanding of food consumption. It identifies new ways to approach the explanation of food choice and it develops new concepts which will help reshape and reorient common understandings. Leading sociologist of food, Alan Warde, deals both with abstract issues about theories of practice and substantive analyses of aspects of eating, demonstrating how theories of practice can be elaborated and systematically applied to the activity of eating. The book falls into two parts. The first part establishes a basis for a practice-theoretic account of eating. Warde reviews research on eating, introduces theories of practice and constructs eating as a scientific object. The second part develops key concepts for the analysis of eating as a practice, showing how concepts like habit, routine, embodiment, repetition and convention can be applied to explain how eating is organised and coordinated through the generation, reproduction and transformation of a multitude of individual performances. The Practice of Eating thus addresses both substantive problems concerning the explanation of food habits and currently controversial issues in social theory, illustrated by detailed empirical analysis of some aspects of contemporary culinary life. It will become required reading for students and scholars of food and consumption in a wide range of disciplines, from sociology, anthropology and cultural studies to food studies, culinary studies and nutrition science.

The Sociology of the Meal

The Sociology of the Meal
Author: Roy C. Wood
Publisher:
Total Pages: 156
Release: 1995
Genre: Cooking
ISBN:

An introduction to the main themes and results of recent research on the nation's eating habits. The work: reviews key literature and research on meals and meal taking in daily life; examines the main theoretical debates; and summarizes research in domestic and public dining habits.

Twenty Lessons in the Sociology of Food and Agriculture

Twenty Lessons in the Sociology of Food and Agriculture
Author: Jason Konefal
Publisher: Lessons in Sociology
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2018-08-29
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780190662127

Twenty Lessons in the Sociology of Food and Agriculture examines food and agriculture from farm to fork using a sociological lens. Following the "Lessons" format, the book presents twenty sociological lessons on food and agriculture from both established and up-and-coming scholars. Each lesson is written in an accessible and engaging format, incorporates historical and contemporary topics and examples, and discusses hot button issues wherever relevant. The book draws primarily on cases and issues in the United States, but given the global character of food and agriculture, it also incorporates relevant examples from other countries.