October 26, 2006
Inequality on the menu
Class Title: Food and Social Inequality
Description: Food. We normally don’t think of it in any deep, life-altering way, yet this fall Katherine Stovel is teaching how eating —an inherently basic human activity— is of great interest to sociologists, anthropologists and biologists. By exploring variation among populations in what and how we eat, Stovel’s course uses food to learn about how societies are organized.
The instructor says: “I think food is a wonderful example of an everyday activity that reveals social inequality. Historically, simple societies were characterized by small populations and low levels of inequality; it wasn’t until people began to control their food supply that societies grew and became differentiated — in short, that they became more like what we are familiar with today. Even in complex societies, however, people with a better position in life tend to have better food, which may contribute to better health and opportunities for their children.”
In addition to putting eating into a historical and global perspective, Stovel aims to teach her students a bit about basic human nutrition. While Americans today pay less for food than anyone else in the world, many Americans still eat a very unhealthy diet. Understanding why this occurs is a major theme of the course. Stovel believes that considering this type of question is a good experience for undergraduates because it helps them understand the social conditions against which individuals make choices in their lives.
Unexpected Experiences: Stovel has had some surprises while teaching her course on food. “The students are really interested in helping people who are younger than they are,” she says. “Their concern for the next generation was a bit of a surprise. I think this is occurring because we’re focusing on things that really bring out their compassion.”
Students say: Lan Tran, a senior who is majoring in sociology and pre-nursing, says one of the most interesting experiences she has had in this course was comparing historical patterns of food production and consumption to present-day circumstances. “This really helps us understand how inequality is created and maintained,” she said.
Reading list: Assorted articles and book chapters, and three books: The Hungry Planet, by Peter Mendel and Faith D’Aluisio; Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser; and Fields That Dream, by Jenny Kurzweil.
Assignments: Students complete four short essays/problem sets, conduct a focused inquiry research project and maintain a food log.
Class Notes is a column devoted to interesting and offbeat classes at the UW. Compiled by Gwen Davis.
