SOC 202 - Sociology of Food

Credits: 5
Using a sociological lens, the relationship between food and humans is examined, focusing on how food production and consumption are informed by social class, ethnicity, gender, globalization, social movements and technological changes. Humans give symbolic meaning to food as more than a source of nourishment; food rituals are embedded in social institutions, cultural patterns and social interactions between individuals which reflect changing cultural values and practices.

Enrollment Requirement: Eligible for ENGL& 101 or instructor consent.

Satisfies Requirement: Social Science
Course Fee: $1.00

Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

Analyze the historical role of capitalist development as it relates to the contemporary global food system.
Identify the intersection of social class, gender, and ethnicity in food production and consumption patterns.
Identify the connection between food production and globalization, including assessing the ecological implications of the current global food systems.

Program Outcomes
Apply a structural analysis to course-specific content.

College-wide Outcomes

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.