Food Studies has emerged as an important interdisciplinary field of enquiry. It is not just only about the study of food per se. Food Studies deals with more than the mere production, consumption, and aesthetic appreciation of food. It looks at the relationship between food and people from the variety of perspectives; be it sociology, cultural studies, economics, health, social policy, anthropology, history, art, science, management or technology.
Sociology of Food is a comprehensive volume on food and its changing dimensions. Besides offering readings of some established models of change in food patterns from food in transition to dietary change, the book adds its share of interesting empirical studies based on fieldwork and devoted to processes of change.
Chapters in this volume reflect on the anthropological, sociological and historical approach to food studies. It provides an excellent platform for the complex factors that shape people’s food habits. The wide range of issues covered in the volume includes: varieties of agricultural production, aspects of food safety and security, the role of household structures and issues of gender in dietary transformations and patterns of food consumption.
The book brings a sociological lens to emerging issues in relation to food and eating. Focussing on key texts and studies, the book will help students identify major concerns and themes for further study in this niche area of sociological enquiry.