A Sociology of Food and Nutrition examines the social context of food and nutrition by exploring the socio-cultural, political, economic, and philosophical factors that influence food production, distribution and consumption. Leading authors in the field provide a contemporary analysis of the social factors that underlie food choice.

• Each chapter includes: an overview, list of key terms, summaries, discussion and essay questions, and recommended web sites and further reading.
• New chapters from leading international authors: World Hunger (now authored by Frances Moore Lappé); The Politics of Government Dietary Advice (by Jennifer Lisa Falbe and Marion Nestle); Culinary Cultures of Europe: Food, History, Health and Identity (by Stephen Mennell); and ‘Constructing the Female Body: Dieting, the Thin Ideal and Body Acceptance’ (by Lauren Williams and John Germov).
• New sociological reflection exercises, which can be used as self-directed or class-based activities that help students to apply their learning.
  

Part 1: An Appetiser
1. Exploring the Social Appetite: A Sociology of Food and Nutrition – John Germov and Lauren Williams

Part 2: The Food System: Globalisation and Agribusiness
2. World Hunger: Its Roots and Remedies – Frances Moore Lappe
3. Unsustainable Food Production: Its Social Origins and Alternatives – Terry Leahy
4. Agribusiness, Genetic Engineering and the Corporatisation of Food – Geoffrey Lawrence and Janet Grice
5. Operating Upstream and Downstream: How Supermarkets Exercise Power in the Food System – Jane Dixon

Part 3: Food and Nutrition Discourses, Politics, and Policies
6. The Politics of Government Dietary Advice – Jennifer Lisa Falbe and Marion Nestle
7. Functional Foods and Public Health Nutrition Policy – Mark Lawrence and John Germov
9. Risk, Maternal Ideologies, and Infant Feeding – Elizabeth Murphy
10. The Government of the Table: nutrition Expertise and the Social Organisation of Family Food Habits – John Coveney

Part 4 – Food Consumption, Social Differentiation and Identity

11. Culinary Cultures of Europe: Food, History, Health and Identity
12. Food, Class and Identity
13. Humans, Food and Other Animals: The Vegetarian Option
14. Food and Aging
15. Constructing the Female Body: Dieting, the Thin Ideal and Body Acceptance
16. The Social Construction of Eating Disorders
17. Sociological Analysis of the Stigmatisation of Obesity

Glossary

Edited by John Germov – Associate Professor and Head of School, School of Humanities and Social Science, The University of Newcastle

Lauren Williams – Senior Lecturer, School of Health Sciences, The University of Newcastle

Introduction

Preface

Useful Weblinks

• Deutsch, J. (ed) 2003, Teaching Food: Agriculture, Food and Society Syllabi and Course Materials Collection, 2nd edn, NY: ASFS/AFHVS. http://www.food-culture.org/ASFS-AFHVS-Syllabi2003.pdf
• Copelton, D.A. and Lucal, B. (eds) 2004, The Sociology of Food: Syllabi and Instructional Materials, American Sociological Association.
• Bush Food – Australian Museum Online: http://www.austmus.gov.au/teachers_resources/background/bush_food.htm

Introduction

Preface

Useful Weblinks

Online resources by chapter

Access recommended websites and audiovisual material

Chapter 1 - Exploring the Social Appetite: A Sociology of Food and Nutrition

Chapter 2 - World Hunger: Its Roots and Remedies

Chapter 3 - Unsustainable Food Production: Its Social Origins and Alternatives

Chapter 4 - Agribusiness, Genetic Engineering and the Corporatisation of Food

Chapter 5 - Operating Upstream and Downstream: How Supermarkets Exercise Power in the Food System

Chapter 6 - The Politics of Government Dietary Advice

Chapter 7 - Functional Foods and Public Health Nutrition Policy

Chapter 8 - The Public Health Nutrition Workforce: A Sociological Review

Chapter 9 - Risk, Maternal Ideologies and Infant Feeding

Chapter 10 - The Government of the Table: Nutrition Expertise and the Social Organisation of Family Food Habits

Chapter 11 - Culinary Cultures of Europe: Food, History, Health and Identity

Chapter 12 - Food, Class and Identity

Chapter 13 - Humans, Food and Other Animals: The Vegetarian Option

Chapter 14 - Food and Ageing

Chapter 15 - Constructing the Female Body: Dieting, the Thin Ideal and Body Acceptance

Chapter 16 - The Social Construction of Eating Disorders

Chapter 17 - Sociological Analysis of the Stigmatisation of Obesity