SOCIOLOGY OF FOOD (ELR)

Catalog description

(Slashed with SOC 52560 ) Food is essential, but like every other aspect of our lives, the meaning of food and experience of its preparation and consumption are socially determined. Course explores the social dimensions of food consumption and production. Students consider the following questions and answer them by developing an understanding of sociological concepts and theories: What do our meals reveal about us – our history, culture, gender and race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs and family life? How does food consumption differ in different societies? How do the media and corporations influence our food choices? What does food symbolize and in what ways are these meanings manipulated and why? How is food production carried out in different contexts and what can we learn about the social organization of work from studying food production? How does what we eat contribute to local and global environmental problems? Students are encouraged to engage in community or classroom activities that require them to apply sociological food theories to examine how their own social location in the food system connects to the broader community.