European University Institute Library

Food, politics, and society, social theory and the modern food system, Alejandro Colás, Jason Edwards, Jane Levi, and Sami Zubaida

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

index present

non fiction

Food, politics, and society

bibliography

1029071459

Alejandro Colás, Jason Edwards, Jane Levi, and Sami Zubaida

social theory and the modern food system

"Food and drink has been a focal point of modern social theory since the inception of agrarian capitalism and the industrial revolution. From Adam Smith to Mary Douglas, major thinkers have used key concepts like identity, exchange, culture, and class to explain the modern food system. Food, Politics, and Society offers a historical and sociological survey of how these various ideas, and the practices that accompany them, have shaped our understanding and organization of the production, processing, preparation, serving, and consumption of food and drink in modern societies. Divided into twelve chapters and drawing on a wide range of historical and empirical illustrations, this book provides a concise, informed, and accessible survey of the interaction between social theory and food and drink. It is perfect for courses in a wide range of disciplines"--, Provided by publisher

Introduction : food, drink and modern social theory -- The natural and the social : the agricultural revolution -- Exchange : the Columbian Exchange and mercantile empires -- Culture : ritual, prohibition and taboo -- Industrialization : technology, rationality and urbanization -- The public sphere : eating and drinking in public -- The modern state : alcohol, alcoholism and biopolitics -- Identity : nationalism, ethnicity and religion -- Distinction : social difference, taste, and the civilizing process -- Political economy : the global food system -- The self : food choices and public health -- Consumption : media, the domestic economy and celebrity chefs