On the Engagement with Social Theory in Food Studies : From Cultural Symbols to Social Practices

• This paper is based on a two-part argument. First, food studies should be more engaged in social theory. I argue that a greater engagement with theoretical debates and developments, as well as clearer theoretical conflicts in the field, would increase both our empirical knowledge of food issues and the understanding of general social-theoretical problems. This will not reduce food to a simple means of “studying something else,” but, on the contrary, to highlight the exceptionality of food issues. Second, I exemplify such a commitment with a particular theoretical direction. I argue that food studies has been skewed toward research on the communicative aspects of food and eating (identity, cultural symbolism, social movement action, etc.), while increased engagements with contemporary theories of practice would provide the field with a broader diversity where the inconspicuous, ordinary, unreflective, mundane, and (more or less) unnoticed are given as much attention as the conspicuous, special, reflexive, extraordinary, and symbolically loaded.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

food studies

social theory

sociology of food and eating

theories of practice

food consumption

cultural symbols

identity

social practices

Kostvetenskap

Food, Nutrition and Dietetics

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)