Juvenile Delinquency and Number

A sociological perspective places food and eating into a broader context, taking into account historical, cultural, political, and economic variables. Although there are some crossovers between the sociology of food and the anthropology of food, the sociological perspective is unique. In particular, sociology remains concerned with issues like race, class, gender, and power in societies. The sociology of food in part demonstrates how food and eating can reflect existing social stratifications and hierarchies or create new hierarchies or caste systems. Food, from the way it is produced and distributed, to the way it is priced, processed, packaged, and served, involves a series of structural and functional relationships not just between individuals but organizations and institutions. The relationships between individuals in a family or community can be impacted through different roles regarding food, as when the hunting, gathering, preparation, and serving of food is a gender segregated activity. Moreover, the sociology of food can help to illuminate the political factors involved with food regulations, testing, and subsidies for specific food industries. I am interested in all of these issues in the subject of the sociology of food and look forward to exploring each in greater depth.
I am struck by the vastness of this topic and feel that it actually could be one of the most important issues of our time because of the importance of food to basic human survival. Food has always had a political component, as well as an economic and social one as well. The politics of food is evident in such things as the differences between how the wealthy and powerful can and do eat versus how the poor eat. Ironically, I believe that poor people around the world often eat tastier food than wealthy people. The elevation of street food and food truck food to a trend shows how the existing social class hierarchies can be transcended consciously. At the same time, poor people around the world also tend to have access to lower quality oils and other ingredients that may render their food products less nutritious or even dangerous for everyday consumption. The result is that health and wellness reflect social stratifications and unequal power distributions in a society. Whereas wealthy people can afford to travel and eat street food at will, poor people cannot afford to eat haute cuisine.
Another angle of discussion in the sociology of food is related to gender segregation and gender inequality. Patriarchal cultures almost universally stratify labor according to gender, with women being assigned roles related to food harvesting, food preparation, and cleaning up but not necessarily to eating the fruits of their labor. Women in patriarchal societies are expected to labor throughout the day to feed their families—in many cases without receiving wages—and yet are also expected to feed their husbands and male children the choicest cuts of meat or the largest portions. Even in more technologically advanced societies and societies in which women work outside the home, food-related duties often remain gender segregated, with women performing the bulk of the grocery shopping duties and food preparation at home. Interesting counterparts to a gendered perspective on food and eating include the stereotypes of men being better equipped for grilling meats versus women’s work in the kitchen; and also the differences between men and women in terms of how food and eating impact body image. Eating disorders affect both men and women, but women far outnumber men in eating disorder prevalence (National Eating Disorders Association, 2016). Moreover, women and men are expected to conform to gender roles and norms with regards to eating behaviors. In some societies, men are expected to eat more, and eat with gusto; women are expected to eat daintily and delicately, eating smaller portions. The sociological perspective shows how gender differences in eating behaviors reflect overall gender based hierarchies and norms in the society.
Also a topic within the rubric of food and sociology is how food impacts personal and collective identity construction. In diverse societies or in countries with large proportions of immigrants, food becomes an important factor in self-assertion. Each culture proudly clings to its food-related traditions, just as they might retain their mother tongue. As Ehrlich (1997) points out, food is integral to preserving customs and traditions in the face of oppression. Food symbolizes love, connectedness, and belonging to a community. Learning about another culture naturally entails learning about its food customs, not just in the content or ingredients of the foods and dishes prepared but also in how the food is served, prepared, and eaten. Conversely, one way to insult another culture is to criticize its food for being weird or gross. The concept of “breaking bread” with people represents respect for the other person, and a sharing of cultural values. Eating alone versus eating in groups is another way that social norms differ in each culture, with some cultures shunning solo eating and others viewing it as a normal part of everyday life. In some cultures, food is perceived of as a means of surviving whereas in others, food is a means of celebrating life. Holiday food customs and special dishes are not simply examples of the anthropological perspective of food but also the sociology of food because of the ways special meals and food-related occasions reflect social and cultural institutions.
In memoir or narrative format books like Miriam's Kitchen, and Sustained by Eating, Consumed by Eating Right, the authors focus on the evolving role and function of food in their respective societies and families. I look forward to exploring each of our texts in greater depth to gain a deeper understanding of how other cultures perceive food, eating, and culture. Through my engagement with these texts, I will better understand how food and eating define my personal identity, and my culture’s identity too. Finally, all our readings should help illuminate some of the problematic issues in the sociology of food, especially the political and social justice issues addressed in Sustained by Eating, Consumed by Eating Right.



References

Ball, E.L. (2013). Sustained by Eating, Consumed by Eating. SUNY Press.
Beardsworth, A. & Keil, T. (1997). Sociology on the Menu. Routledge: Taylor & Francis.
Erlich, E. (1997). Miriam’s Kitchen. New York: Penguin.
National Eating Disorders Association (2016). Research on males and eating disorders. Retrieved online: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/research-males-and-eating-disorders