University of Southern Maine – Department of Sociology
SOC 363: Food, Culture and Society
Fall 2010
Professor Cheryl Laz
Office:
Sociology Department, 120 Bedford Street, Portland
Phone:
780-4101 (office, voice mail); 780-4100 (Soc dept, Jill Jordan MacLean)
E-Mail: cherlaz@usm.maine.edu
Office Hours: Sociology Dept, Portland: Tuesday and Thursday 11:30-1, and by appointment
Course Description
Rising prices, beef recalls, salmonella in eggs, unhealthy fast food, an obesity epidemic, a new White
House Kitchen Garden. Almost every day, food is in the headlines. Even if eating weren‟t
something most humans do several times each day, food would command our attention.
Eating–the consumption of nutrients–is a necessity for living organisms, a biological imperative.
But food is about much more than nutrition. This course views food production, processing,
distribution, and consumption as social and cultural phenomena. The course aims to develop a
sociological framework for understanding and connecting the many food stories in the headlines:
stories about GMOs, CAFOs, obesity and hunger, agricultural subsidies, federal food regulation,
sustainable agriculture. By the end of the course you should also have a better understanding of
your own food choices.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. Understand the outlines of the dominant, industrialized system of food production in the
contemporary US and recognize and assess alternatives to the dominant system.
2. Locate the dominant food system and alternative food systems in historical, social and political
context
3. Draw connections between your individual food biography (personal eating choices, habits, and
tastes) and our collective food history (local and global systems of food production as well as
historical changes in diet and food systems)
4. Participate in a critical, sociological discourse
Required Texts
Thomas A. Lyson. 2004. Civic Agriculture. Medford, MA: Tufts University Press.
Michael Pollan. 2006. The Omnivore’s Dilemma. New York: The Penguin Press.
Michael Pollan. 2008. In Defense of Food. New York: The Penguin Press.
Mark Winne. 2008. Closing the Food Gap. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Many readings will be articles/chapters posted on Blackboard. Please ensure that you
have access to these articles in class (either by printing them out, taking detailed notes, or
using a laptop).
Grading and Course Requirements
Final grades will be based on a total of 575 points, distributed among the following components:
Attendance, preparation and engagement
50 points
Service Learning activity
75 points
Praxis papers (3 x 50 points each)
150 points
Analytic papers (3 x 100 points each)
300 points
Attendance, preparation and engagement
A portion of your grade will be based on attendance and my assessment of your preparation for and
engagement in class activities. Attendance is crucial, but attendance alone will not earn you the full
50 points. Conversely, missing class once will not necessarily doom this part of your grade. What
is crucial when it comes to preparation and engagement are (1) conscientious preparation for class
(you did the reading, thought about the ideas, made notes to facilitate your involvement in
discussion), (2) willingness to participate as a collaborator in class discussion and/or group work
(Note that collaborators do not talk all the time; they make it possible for groups to work together.
Collaboration requires silence and reflection as well as conversation, and it requires compromise.),
and (3) respect for the ideas of other people, even (especially) when you disagree. You can also
expect these things from me.
Readings. Much of the information and “food for thought” will be transmitted via readings; they
are the core of this course and the reading will sometimes be quite lengthy (but also lively). Please
plan accordingly. In each section, I have listed, in addition to the required readings, several
recommended readings. These are NOT intended as supplementary assignments for this course;
rather, I offer them as possible leads, should you wish to pursue any of the course topics in greater
depth either during the semester or at some later date. They also serve as complete citations for
work I may introduce during class.
Praxis papers. Praxis papers require you to gather information and reflect on your own practices
and thoughts about food/eating; as such, they are opportunities for applied sociology.
Three praxis papers are required; details about each, along with criteria for evaluation, will be
distributed during the semester.
Analytic papers. Analytic papers require you to think critically about the reading and to write
persuasive essays (similar to those you wrote in SOC 210, Critical Thinking about Social Issues).
Three analytic papers are required. For each paper, you will have a choice of questions/texts.
Detailed assignments, along with criteria for evaluation, will be distributed during the semester.
Two will be due during the semester; the third will be due at the time of the scheduled final exam.
Service Learning activity. There are numerous opportunities for learning about, participating in,
and/or challenging our food system outside of class. This requirement will consist of a minimum
of 4 hours of service/civic engagement outside of class. I will provide you with a number of
projects and locations from which to choose. In addition to the hours of service, you must submit
a brief written report and analysis/assessment. Details to follow.
BLACKBOARD
This course has a Blackboard site which contains course materials including assignments,
supplementary materials and web links, and many required readings. In addition, I will use the
communication function to send e-mails. Please ensure that the e-mail address in Blackboard is
where you actually receive your mail. You should log in to Blackboard on a regular basis to check
for announcements.
If you are unfamiliar with Blackboard or need a refresher, the quick guide will help you access
materials, change your password, log in, change your e-mail address, etc. If you have not taken a
USM or UMS course before, you will need to activate your account. Instructions are on the
website:
https://bb9.courses.maine.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp
http://www.learn.maine.edu/crs/bb5_guide.htmlYou can also navigate to this site from the USM
website, www.usm.maine.edu. If you have trouble activating or logging in to Blackboard, please
do NOT call me for help. Use the Blackboard help line, 1-800-696-4357 (HELP), or their e-mail
address, techsupport@maine.edu.
A NOTE ON ACADEMIC HONESTY
While I encourage you to share ideas with each other and to discuss issues and material outside of
class, when it comes to written work, the final product must be your own. Plagiarism in any shape
or form will not be tolerated. This includes "borrowing" without proper credit from friends and
classmates as well as from other authors. Borrowing with credit, in contrast, is good professional
practice. Definitions of plagiarism and guidelines for citations and referencing are in the
department‟s "Guide to Referencing" (available in Course Information in Blackboard) and in
Hacker, A Writer‟s Reference (section R3 and APA 2-4). You are expected to know and adhere to
these guidelines, and to ask me (or other faculty) for clarification as necessary.
MINIMUM GRADE REQUIREMENT
It is your responsibility to be familiar with the minimum grade requirements in effect the year you
declared your major. If you are a sociology major and declared your major after Fall 1993, the
minimum requirement is C. If you have questions, see your advisor.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT INFORMATION
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please see me as soon as
possible. At any point in the semester, if you have difficulty with the course or feel you could be
performing at a higher level, please meet with me. There are a number of academic support
services available on campus including Student Success Center (119 Payson Smith, 780-4040), Office
of Academic Support for Students with Disabilities (237 Luther Bonney, 780-4706), and the
Counseling Center (106 Payson Smith, 780-4050).
COURSE SCHEDULE
Schedule may change. Any changes will be announced in class and posted to Blackboard.
Required books are indicated by an asterisk. All other readings are pdf files or web links available
on Blackboard/Course Documents in the appropriately titled/dated folder.
Week 1: September 2 INTRODUCTION
film: King Corn
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 2: September 9
INDUSTRIALIZED FOOD: AGRICULTURE & PRODUCTION
Key Questions
How have agriculture and food production changed over the past 100 years?
What is industrialized food?
What are some of the most important achievements or successes of industrialized food production?
What are some of the problems or dangers of industrialized food production?
Required Reading
*Thomas Lyson, Civic Agriculture, Chapters 1-4 (pp. 1-60)
*Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Part I)
Rachel Laudan. 2001. “A Plea for Culinary Modernism: Why We Should Love New, Fast,
Processed Food.” Gastronomica Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 36-44, Winter 2001.
Film: Our Daily Bread
Recommended Reading
Richard Manning. 2004. “The oil we eat: following the food chain back to Iraq.” Harper’s
Magazine (February): 37-45. Accessed at http://www.harpers.org/archive/2004/02/0079915
[Available on Blackboard]
Paul Roberts. 2008. The End of Food. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
“Science in Your Shopping Cart.” http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/shopcart/shopcart.pdf
[Link available on Blackboard]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 3: September 16
INDUSTRIALIZED FOOD: DISTRIBUTION AND
CONSUMPTION
Praxis Assignment I due
Key Questions
How have consumption and eating patterns changed in the US over the past century?
What are some of the positive and negative consequences of these changes?
To what extent are these large-scale historical changes reflected in our personal eating habits?
Required reading
Harvey Levenstein. 1988. “Too Rich and Too Thin?” Pp. 194-211 in Revolution at the Table:
The Transformation of the American Diet. New York: Oxford University Press.
Marion Nestle. 2002. “From Eat More to Eat Less, 1900-1990,” pp. 31-50 in Food Politics.
Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Paul Roberts. 2008. “Buy One Get One Free,” pp. 57-81 in The End of Food. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt.
Recommended Reading
Richard Manning. 2004. “Hog Heaven,” pp. 163-184 in Against the Grain. New York: North
Point Press. [available on Blackboard]
Harvey Levenstein. 1988. Revolution at the Table: The Transformation of the American Diet.
New York: Oxford University Press.
Harvey Levenstein. 1993. Paradox of Plenty: A Social History of Eating in Modern America.
New York: Oxford University Press.
USDA interactive Food Atlas. Available at http://maps.ers.usda.gov/FoodAtlas
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 4: September 23
ANIMALS AND FOOD PRODUCTION
Key Questions
What is the place of animal products and especially meat in the contemporary US diet?
How is most meat produced? Are there alternative methods of meat production?
What is the role of animals in integrated/sustainable agriculture?
What are the sociological arguments for and against meat consumption? What makes these
arguments sociological?
Required Reading
Peter Singer and Jim Mason. 2006. “The Ethics of Eating Meat,” pp. 241-260 in The Ethics of
What We Eat. Rodale.
Steve Striffler. 2005. “Love That Chicken!” Pp. 15-31 in Chicken: The Dangerous
Transformation of America’s Favorite Food. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
*Michael Pollan. 2006. The Omnivore’s Dilemma. New York: Penguin.
See particularly the following sections/chapters:
Chapter 4, “The Feedlot: Making Meat”
Pp. 169-173, “Meet Rosie, the organic free-range chicken”
Chapter 11, “The Animals: Practicing Complexity”
Chapter 17, “The Ethics of Eating Animals”
View “The Meatrix I and II.” Available at http://www.themeatrix.com
Recommended Reading
Peter Lovenheim. 2002. Portrait of a Burger as a Young Calf. New York: Harmony Books.
Howard Lyman. 1998. Mad Cowboy. New York: Touchstone.
Ruth Ozeki. 1999. My Year of Meats. New York: Penguin.
Michael Pollan. 2002. “Power Steer.” New York Times Magazine. March 31. Available at:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06E5DB153BF932A05750C0A9649C8B6
3&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
E. Annie Proulx. 2002. That Old Ace in the Hole. New York: Scribner.
Peter Singer. 1975. Animal Liberation. New York: New York Review.
Steve Stfiffler. 2005. Chicken: The Dangerous Transformation of America’s Favorite Food.
New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 5: September 30
Analytic Essay I due
GM FOODS: ALLEVIATING HUNGER or PANDORA’S BOX?
Key Questions
What are GMOs? In what ways is this new biotechnology distinctive? How is it different
from earlier practices of breeding and gene modification?
What are the advantages of GMOs?
Do GMOs contribute to alleviating world hunger?
What are the dangers of GMOs? In what ways are GMOs a modern Pandora‟s box?
Required Reading
Norman Borlaug. “Foreword,” and John H. Moore, “Prologue” in Miller and Conko, The
Frankenfood Myth. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Henry I. Miller and Gregory Conko. 2004. “A Brave New World of Biotechnology? More Like
a Brave Old World!” Pp. 1-18 in The Frankenfood Myth. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Sandor Ellix Katz. 2006. “Seed Saving as a Political Act,” pp. 42-70 in The Revolution Will
Not Be Microwaved. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing.
From Barry Glassner. 2007. The Gospel of Food. (Pp. 212-220) New York: Harper Perennial.
Film: The Future of Food
Recommended Reading
“Experts discuss the safety and benefits of plant biotechnology.” Accessed May 21, 2008 at
http://monsanto.com/biotech-gmo/asp/experts.asp?id=GeneticallyModifiedFoodCrops
Ruth Ozeki. 2003. All Over Creation. New York: Viking.
Marion Nestle. 2003. Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology and Bioterrorism. Berkeley:
University of California Press.
Rachel Schurman. 2004. “Fighting „Frankenfoods‟: Industry Opportunity Structures and the
Efficacy of the Anti-Biotech Movement in Western Europe.” Social Problems 51, 2: 243-268.
[Available on Blackboard]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 6: October 7
LUCKILY, THERE’S GOVERNMENT REGULATION:
THE FDA, USDA, AND THE POLITICS OF FOOD
Key Questions
What government agencies are involved in regulating foods in the US?
What are the missions and responsibilities of each agency?
What are the accomplishments of US federal agencies?
What are some of the problems with US regulatory agencies?
Required reading
Browse the websites of major food-related regulatory agencies; links are in Blackboard. Pay attention to the mission and
responsibilities of each. Make some observations about the websites (i.e. one of the public faces of these agencies and thus
the US government).
FDA website: www.fda.gov
Pay particular attention to what the FDA does (its mission), what the FDA does and
does not regulate (these can be found using the “About FDA/FDA Organization link
on the left), and to “Recalls and Safety Alerts” (a link on the right side of the home
page).
USDA website: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
Pay particular attention to what the USDA does (its mission and responsibilities).
Take a look at USDA recalls; “Browse by Subject/ Food and Nutrition” (links on left
of home page), “Related Topics/Food Recalls” (links on right of Food and Nutrition
page) or http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_Recalls/index.asp
EPA website: http://www.epa.gov
Pay attention to what the EPA does that is related to food production and food safety.
Use “About EPA” link on the left side of home page. See also the
“Quickfinder/agriculture” link at the top of the home page.
Marion Nestle. 2003. “The Politics of Food Borne Illness,” Pp. 33-61 in Safe Food. Berkeley:
University of California Press.
Joel Salatin. 2007. “The Original Essay–Acres USA” (pp. 2-10) and “PL 90-492" (Pp. 26-45) in
Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal. Swoope, Virginia: Polyface, Inc.
Recommended Reading
Marion Nestle. 2002. Food Politics. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Marion Nestle. 2003. Food Safety. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Week 7: October 14
ADVICE FROM NUTRITIONISTS
Key Questions
What do we know about nutrition?
How sound (dependable) is the science of nutrition?
What are the particular challenges of nutrition science?
How influential has nutrition science been?
What is nutritionism? Who benefits from nutritionism? What are the problems with nutritionism?
Required Reading
Harvey Levenstein. 1988. “Scientists, Pseudoscientists and Faddists,” Pp. 86-97 in Revolution at
the Table. New York: Oxford University Press.
*Michael Pollan. 2008. “Part I: The Age of Nutritionism,” pp. 1-81 in In Defense of Food. New
York: Penguin Press.
Marion Nestle. 2002. “Issues in Nutrition and Nutrition Research,” Pp. 375-385 in Food Politics.
Berkeley: University of California Press.
USDA Food Pyramid. Available at http://www.mypyramid.gov
Harvard School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source: Food Pyramids: What you should really
eat. Accessed May 21, 2008 at
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid-full-story/index.html
Recommended Reading
Marion Nestle. 2002. Politics vs. Science: Opposing the Food Pyramid, 1991-1992,” pp. 51-66 in
Food Politics. Berkeley: University of California Press. [available on Blackboard]
Marion Nestle. 2007. What to Eat.
T. Coraghessan Boyle. 1993. The Road to Wellville. New York: Viking.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 8: October 21
DIET, OBESITY, HEALTH, AND DISEASE
Praxis Assignment 2 Due
Key Questions
Is there an epidemic of obesity?
Should we be worried about obesity? If so, why? If not, why not?
Are there any claims about obesity that we can treat as factual?
Do obesity researchers and scholars agree on anything?
Why is there so much controversy about obesity?
Required Reading
*Michael Pollan. Chapter 6, The Omnivore’s Dilemma (review)
Paul Campos. 2004. “Introduction” and “Fat on Trial,” Pp. Xv-xxvi and 3-40 in The Obesity
Myth. New York: Gotham.
Gary Taubes. 2002. “What if It‟s All Been a Big Fat Lie?” New York Times Magazine, July 7, 2002.
Susan Allport. 2003. “The Skinny on Fat.” Gastronomica Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 28-36.
*Michael Pollan. 2008. “Part II: The Western Diet and the Diseases of Civilization,” pp. 85-136 in
In Defense of Food. New York: Penguin Press.
Recommended Reading
Julie Guthman. 2007. “Can‟t Stomach It: How Michael Pollan et al. Made Me Want to Eat
Cheetos.” Gastronomica Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 75-79, Summer 2007. [available on Blackboard]
Morgan Spurlock. 2005. Don’t Eat this Book. New York: G. P. Putnam‟s. [Chapter 1, “Girth
of a Nation” is available on Blackboard]
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2001. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent
and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. Rockville, MD: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General. Available at
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/CalltoAction.pdf
[Available on Blackboard]
Barry Glassner. 2007. “What Made America Fat?” pp. 174-199 in The Gospel of Food.
New York: Perennial. [available on Blackboard]
J. Eric Oliver. 2005. Fat Politics. Oxford University Press.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 9: October 28
HUNGER AND FOOD POLICY
Key Questions
How extensive is the problem of hunger and food insecurity?
What are the root causes of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition?
How can we explain the simultaneous problems of obesity and hunger? Are the two related?
Required Reading
*Mark Winne. 2008. Closing the Food Gap. Introduction and Chapters 1-5. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Film: Global Banquet
Recommended Reading
Raj Patel. 2008. Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System. Brooklyn, NY:
Melville House Publishing. [Introduction available on Blackboard]
Patricia Allen. 2007. “The Disappearance of Hunger in America.” Gastronomica: the journal
of food and culture. Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 19-23. [Available on Blackboard]
Peter Menzel and Faith D‟Aluisio. 2005. Hungry Planet: What the World Eats. Material World.
------------------------------------------------------------------------Week 10: November 4
Analytic Essay II Due
THE FOOD GAP AND PUBLIC POLICY
Key Questions
What is the extent of hunger in Maine?
How does Maine address the issue of hunger in its public policies?
What are anti-hunger activists in Maine, and elsewhere, doing?
Are policies and/or activism successful in reducing hunger?
Required Reading
*Mark Winne. 2008. Closing the Food Gap. Chapters 6-10. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Guest Speaker
Craig Lapine, Executive Director, Cultivating Community
www.cultivatingcommunity.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Week 11:
November 11
NO CLASS–VETERANS’ DAY
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 12: November 18
Praxis Assignment 3 Due
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: GOING ORGANIC
Key Questions
What is the history of the organic movement?
What are the organic standards? Where did they come from? What do they entail? How are they
enforced?
What are the advantages of National Organic Standards?
What are the problems with or disadvantages of National Organic Standards?
Is organic a good alternative to industrialized agriculture/food?
Required Reading
*Michael Pollan. Omnivore‟s Dilemma, Part II.
Browse at least one of the websites below; links are in the appropriate Blackboard folder, along with more
info about each of these sites.
Maine Organic Farmers and Garderners Association. http://mofga.org
Cornucopia Institute: http://www.cornucopia.org/
Organic Consumers Association. http://www.organicconsumers.org/
Browse the USDA‟s National Organic Program (NOP) website available at
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop. (Link in Blackboard folder.)
You might also want to look at parts of the actual regulations; link for this is also available in
Blackboard folder. Be warned: this is hundreds of pages of legalese.
Recommended Reading
Julie Guthman. 2004. “Conventionalizing Organic,” pp. 110-140 in Agrarian Dreams: the
Paradox of Organic Farming in California. Berkeley: University of California Press. [available on
Blackboard]
-----------------------------------------------------------------Week 13: November 25
NO CLASS: HAPPY THANKSGIVING
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Week 14: December 2
SOCIAL CHANGE AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS:
BEYOND ORGANIC
Key Questions
How have critics of “industrial organic” developed alternative systems of production, distribution
and consumption?
Are these alternatives closer to the ideals of the original organics movement?
Is “eating locally” realistic? Is it likely to be a genuine challenge to industrialized agriculture?
Required Reading
*Thomas Lyson. 2004. Civic Agriculture, Chapters 5-7 (pp. 61-105)
James E. McWilliams. 2009. “Food Miles or Friendly Miles?...” Pp. 17-53 in Just Food: Where Locavores Get
It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly. Boston: Back Bay Books.
Sandor Ellix Katz. 2006. “Feral Foragers,” Pp. 287-307 in The Revolution Will Not Be
Microwaved. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing.
Nicole McClelland. 2008. “Food Bills Getting you Down? Try Dumpster Diving.” Alternet.
April 1, 2008. Available at http://www.alternet.org/environment/80887/
Film: Fridays at the Farm
Recommended Reading
Barbara Kingsolver. 2007. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. New York: Harper Collins.
Gary Paul Nabhan. 2002. Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods.
New York: Norton.
Brian Halweil. 2004. Eat Here. New York: Norton.
Shannon Hays. 2010. Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture. Richmondville,
NY:
Left to Write Press.
Eve Jochnowitz. 2001. “Edible Activism...” Gastronomica 1(4): 56-63. [Available on Blackboard]
-----------------------------------------------------------------Week 15: December 9
EATING MINDFULLY
Key Questions
What does it mean to eat mindfully?
What can we do, as individuals, to eat more mindfully?
Should we bother? Why or why not?
What are the challenges or obstacles to eating mindfully? What are its pleasures?
Can eating mindfully be the basis for collective action?
Required Reading
Wendell Berry. 1990. “The Pleasures of Eating,” pp. 145-152 in What Are People For?
New York: North Point Press.
*Michael Pollan. 2008. “Part III: Getting over Nutritionism,” pp. 137-201 in In Defense of Food.
New York: Penguin Press.
Recommended Reading
Peter Singer and Jim Mason. 2006. “What Should We Eat?” Pp. 270-284 in The Ethics of What
We Eat. Rodale. [Available on Blackboard]
Barbara Kingsolver. 2007. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. New York:
Harper Collins.
Barbara Kingsolver. 2002. “Lily‟s Chickens,” pp. 109-130 in Small Wonder. NY: Harper Collins.
[available on Blackboard]
Michael Pollan. 2008. “Why Bother?” New York Times Magazine, April 20, 2008. Available at
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/magazine/20wwln-lede-t.html?ref=magazine
[Link available on Blackboard]