Sociology of food? What's that?

The first question I am asked when I say I am taking a sociology of food class is – Sociology of food? What’s that? To be brutally honest, when I signed up for this class, I didn’t have a clue. I just knew that it had two parts I was genuinely interested in – Sociology on one hand and Food on other. But how these two were connected I didn’t know.  The semester is over and this is my last blog-post as a class assignment. I guess it’s time for self-assessment and reflection – what have I learned about myself and the world around me? What was our class about?   Emotions are still fresh, information is still processing and it’s difficult for me to describe comprehensively what I did learn. But one thing is certain – I never will be able to look at food in same way I did before. I am not just a consumer any more; I am a conscious consumer with sociological lenses.

We all have food we prefer, certain tastes we like or dislike. I don’t know about you, but I love food and I love eating. Food is one of the immense pleasures of life and the crucial point around which we organize social events and leisure activities. Food is not only about biological drive and survival, there is much more to food and eating than the fulfillment of physical needs. There are also “social drives, based on cultural, religious, economic, and political factors, that effect the availability and consumption of food” (Germov and Williams. p.4).

But why we prefer one food, or one taste to the other? Where do our individual likes and dislikes come from? The proof that individual food preferences are not formed in a social vacuum is the existence of national cuisines, such as French, Italian, Thai, Mexican or Georgian (to name only a few). Our food habits are not biologically determined, they are not universal, inevitable or natural, but socially constructed. As Claude Fischler notes in his “Food, self and identity”, food can be considered as a bridge connecting nature to culture, and food habits are developed through culturally determined understanding of which food is appropriate and which is not. For example, some cultures prohibit alcohol consumption, while others consider it a necessary part of cultural identity.

And even though some people consider food consumption as a very individual, personal act, what we eat, whom we eat it with and where we eat is very much a social act. As sociologists we are learning to look for patterns in human interaction and find links between individual behavior and social organization. How exactly does one approach this goal? C. Wright Mills, in his book “The Sociological Imagination” (1999), writes “neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both.” The intent of the sociological imagination is to see the bigger picture within which individuals live their lives; to recognize personal troubles and social issues as two aspects of a single process.

Every course has an introduction and objectives. Here is the introduction for my class - Sociology of food 2010.

“In this course we will explore current issues of food production, distribution, and consumption from a sociological perspective.  We will consider the relationships between inequality, poverty, food insecurity and food production; food movements, and the patterns of food consumption as related to ethics, culture, class, and identity.  We will also explore current controversies such as the case for local farming versus agribusiness, irradiation, organic farming, genetic modification of food, fair trade alternatives, etc.  Lastly, we will consider our own relationships with food, how these impact and shape our identities, and reflect our culture and family traditions.  You will be asked to consider multiple viewpoints and conflicting values and to imagine, analyze, and evaluate alternative positions on issues or solutions to problems” (SYG 3930 Syllabus)

This class was a roller coaster for me – it was very emotional, very intense and very interesting. We’ve touched everything – macro and micro, local and global, concrete and abstract aspects of food production, distribution and consumption. We had readings, discussions, and field trips, we watched movies and had guest speakers, we planned and participated in service learning projects, we learned how to blog and I would say – we became better people because of this experience. One of the most instrumental tools I am taking from this class is the skill of blogging. And because knowledge is a power and power is a knowledge, I want to share knowledge and information I have to those who don’t’ have it yet. I will use my blog as a stage for the social activism.

I want to end my post with the quotes from the great book “Privilege, Power and Difference” by Allan Johnson. I agree with author that even though society encourages us to think that the social world begins and ends with individuals, that we are just a collection of people; we are more than just that. “We are always participating in something larger than ourselves – what sociologists call social systems – and systems are more than collections of people” (p.78).

“To perpetuate privilege and oppression, we don’t have to do anything consciously to support it. Just our silence is crucial for ensuring its future, for the simple face is that no system of privilege can continue to exist without most people choosing to remain silent about it. If most heterosexuals spoke out about heterosexism, for example, or if most nondisabled people came out of their closet of silence and stood openly against ableism, it would be a critical first step toward revolutionary change. But the vast majority of ‘good’ people are silent on these issues, and it’s easy for others to read their silence as support.

As long as we participate in social systems, we don’t get to choose whether to be involved in the consequences they produce. We’re involved simply through the fact that we’re here. As such, we can only choose how to be involved, whether to just be a part of the problem or also to be a part of the solution. That’s where our power lies, and also our responsibility” (Johnson, p. 86)

I want to finish with the words from this video-interview with Mark Winne - "Imagine your kitchen is this place where you are going to begin to change the society." Dr. De Welde says that there are people who can be called "closet sociologists." I am adding one more category - "kitchen sociologists." Join us and lets take care of this little planet together.

Appendix

Class material

Omnivore’s Dilemma: a Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. “A brilliant, eye-opening account of how we produce, market, and agonize over what we eat. If you ever thought ‘what’s for dinner’ was a simple question, you’ll change your mind after reading Pollan’s searing indictment of today’s food industry.” (The Seattle Times)

Closing the Food Gap – Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty by Mark Winne. “Reading this book should make everyone want to advocate for food systems that will feed the hungry, support local farmers, and promote community democracy – all at the same time” – Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics and What to eat.

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser – “This is a book about America’s stomach. It is a chronicle of a revolution in the economy and gastronomy of the United States that while universally visible has been scantily examined. If you are what you eat, for much of America this book is your anatomical portrait.” – Hartford Courant.

The Earth Charter - The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century. It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the whole human family, the greater community of life, and future generations. It is a vision of hope and a call to action.

Food Politics – How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health by Marion nestle. “Food Politics absorbingly details how the food industry--through lobbying, advertising, and the co-opting of experts--influences our dietary choices to our detriment. Central to her argument is the American "paradox of plenty," the recognition that our food abundance (we've enough calories to meet every citizen's needs twice over) leads profit-fixated food producers to do everything possible to broaden their market portion, thus swaying us to eat more when we should do the opposite. The result is compromised health: epidemic obesity to start, and increased vulnerability to heart and lung disease, cancer, and stroke--reversible if the constantly suppressed "eat less, move more" message that most nutritionists shout could be heard.” - Arthur Boehm

Stolen Harvest – The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply by Vandana Shiva. “Shiva compares the “free trade” system to British colonialism. Today the system of “free trade” produces the same results, destroying local markets and robbing the poor of their right to food-and even their right to life. When the food system is industrialized, millions of peasants are forced off the land and a system of agriculture that was once ecologically friendly and diverse is replaced by mono-culture cultivation that can only be supported by toxic chemicals. It is a system that actually steals food from other species “to bring larger quantities of specific commodities to the market, using huge quantities of fossil fuels and water and toxic chemicals in the process.” – Sally Fallon

Home Grown – The Case for Local Food in a Global Market by Brian Halweil.

The Future of Food - a documentary by deborah Coons Garcia - The Future of Food has been a key tool in the American and international anti-GMO grassroots activist movements and played widely in the environmental and activist circuits since its release in 2004. The film is widely acknowledged for its role in educating voters and the subsequent success of passing Measure H in Mendocino County, California, one of the first local initiatives in the country to ban the planting of GMO crops.

The Food Inc. Filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Reference:

C. Wright Mills (1999). Sociological Imagination. Oxford University Press.

Germov J., Williams, L. (2001) A Sociology of Food and Nutrition. The social appetite. Oxford Universuity press.

 Johnson, A. (2001). Privilege, Power, and Difference. McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social sciences

http://www.greaterlearning.org/sociology/index.html

http://www.shastacollege.edu/sociology/

http://sanjoyphotos.blogspot.com/2008/05/seasonal-food-habits.html

http://psfn.org/blog/about/

http://www.leyden.co.nz/food.htm

http://lowcarboneater.com/