The focus of this module is on the sociological and anthropological aspects of food and culture.
During the course of the module, the learners explore how humans interact with and around food. We will look at topics such as good taste, meals, commensality, eating out and the cultural significance of restaurants, manners, appetite, restaurant criticism and (not) eating meat as well as the socio-cultural dynamics of fast food.
The aim of the module is to identify the social dynamics around food and investigate how food and eating are culturally and socially shaped.
The module challenges students to recognise underlying dynamics in everyday food practices, to critically discuss their causes and consequences, and to identify relevant concepts in real-world settings.
Through its critical exploration of the underlying social dynamics and drivers of human food consumption, preparation and production, this module contributes to the following UN SDGs:
12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
4 - Quality Education
11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
Introduction to the module
What is this module all about? What are sociology and anthropology and how are they linked to food and foodways?
What is food? Omnivorousness, Disgust, Edible/Non-Edible
How is food and edibility socially constructed? How are food classifications culturally inflected? How is disgust influenced by social and cultural factors?
Good Food/ Taste/ Foodies
What is good food? What is (good) taste? How is taste culturally constructed? What is cultural capital? What is a foodie?
Patterns of Eating 1: The Meal
How has food structured our time (day, week, year) and vice versa? What factors play into our perception of a meal? What is a "proper meal"? Why are meals important for an individual's social and cultural identity and well-being?
Patterns of Eating 2: Commensality
Why is eating together and sharing food so important for humans, for our identity and dignity? What are the functions and features of commensality?
At the Table: Manners, Etiquette, Appetite
How did manners develop from the Middle Ages to modern times? Which social dynamics led to this development? What is the difference between manners, etiquette and habitus? How is appetite a social construction? How did the concept of appetite change over time? What is the social history of dining utensils?
Eating Out: Social Dynamics
What social factors play into eating out? What is the Third Place and what role does or can it play for sustainable communities? How can restaurants be compared to a theatre? What are the social roles and social dynamics of the service and culinary professional? What are social dynamics around tipping?
Restaurant Reviewing
What is the role of the critic - for society, for customers, for the restaurant? How can critics be tastemakers? What are the different types of restaurant reviews, and what are their fundamental elements? How did restaurant reviewing develop over time?
Food as Communication
How can food communicate? What does food communicate? How is the communicative power of food used in social interactions?
Eating Meat and Not Eating Meat
Why is eating meat - and not eating meat - so symbolic? How did vegetarianism develop over time? What are different types of "not eating meat"? What are different reasons for "not eating meat"? How do personal preferences interlink with sustainable consumption and production practices?
Fast Food and Slow Food
What, exactly, is Fast Food? How did the phenomenon come about? What is "McDonaldisation" and what are its consequences? How does it impact sustainability? What is Slow Food? What are other alternatives to Fast Food and the industrialisation of the food system?
This module will be studied through lectures and tutorials.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Formal Examination | 50 |
| Other Assessment(s) | 50 |