Food and Society by Amy E. Guptill, Denise A. Copelton, Betsy Lucal

Food and Society

by Amy E. Guptill, Denise A. Copelton, and Betsy Lucal

This popular and engaging text, now revised in a second edition, offers readers a social perspective on food, food practices, and the modern food system. It engages readers' curiosity by highlighting several paradoxes: how food is both individual and social, reveals both distinction and conformity, and, in the contemporary global era, comes from everywhere but nowhere in particular. With updates and enhancements throughout, the new edition provides an empirically deep, multifaceted, and coherent introduction to this fascinating field.

Each chapter begins with a vivid case study, proceeds through a rich discussion of research insights, and ends with discussion questions and suggested resources. Chapter topics include food's role in socialization, identity, health and social change, as well as food marketing and the changing global food system. The new edition gives more focused attention to labor (both paid and unpaid) in all aspects of the food system. In synthesizing insights from diverse fields of social inquiry, the book addresses issues of culture, structure, and social inequality throughout.

Written in a lively style, this book will continue to be both accessible and revealing to beginning and intermediate students alike.

Reviewed by Joséphine on

4 of 5 stars

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August 20, 2015

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Initial thoughts: If I were to pitch this book as coursework material for university, I'd say it's best suited for freshmen or sophomores. The content is well-organised, concise and very clear. However, those who know their sociological theories and frameworks can figure out the analytical parts themselves, as long as they know the current state of affairs in the food and agricultural industries.

Either way, I still learnt a fair bit of new things, even though I had already covered half the content in sociology modules related to media and globalisation during my undergraduate days. I think the text is also easy enough to understand for anyone who want to read Food and Society to expand their general knowledge.

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  • 20 August, 2015: Finished reading
  • 20 August, 2015: Reviewed