Food and Society
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| BIOS2113 | Biosciences | 2 | 20 | Full Year UK |
- Code
- BIOS2113
- School
- Biosciences
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Full Year UK
Summary
This module concerns the roles, functions and values of food and nutrition in the social world, and how they shape, and are shaped by, social processes.
In the Autumn, students explore food and social thought, appraising diverse social perspectives on food, nutrition, and health. Students are challenged to develop their sociological imagination, as they learn classical sociological theory concerning the ‘big’ ideas about food and society, and later more radical contemporary perspectives. A weekly photo captioning exercise gives students the opportunity to make sense of their own experience of food, and how it interacts with the world around them. Different social ideas are taught each year, reflecting the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of food and society.
In the Spring, the theoretical ideas are put into action, as we imagine new ways of using food to improve social experience, by exploring people-led, grassroots actions which support healthy diets through processes of social change. Each lecture serves as a showcase of grassroots food and nutrition activity, seeing people taking control of the food system to improve health and social justice. Salutogenesis, the social process of health creation, will come to life as we showcase brilliant innovations in local communities, celebrating the value of food in supporting healthy spaces and lives.
The final assessment for this module will see you visit a grassroots initiative, to undertake an ethnographic exploration of how people are using food to develop communities and change the world. You will write a reflective, theoretical account of what you experienced, and use it to propose actions you can undertake as a nutritionist to provide support.
Target Students
BSc (hons) Nutrition students (UK only). There are a limited number of additional places on this module available to students on BSc (hons) Food Science and BSc (hons) Food Science and Nutrition, who may be accepted onto the module after discussion with both the module convenor and their course director.
Classes
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 20 weeks
All of Autumn sessions co-taught with ‘Food and Social Thought’ module. All of Spring sessions co-taught with ‘Food and Social Action’ module.
Assessment
- 20% Participation: Through the Lens: Food and Society (10 x weekly photo captioning exercises, each approximately 50 words).
- 80% Report: Ethnographic Portfolio (2400 word report, consisting of a reflective account, theoretical argument, and professional proposal).
Assessed in both autumn & spring semest
Educational Aims
To introduce sociological theories and interpretations of food and nutrition.To promote multidimensional exploration of food, health, and the diet.To explore classical and contemporary social perspectives of the food system.To celebrate consumer and community potential in supporting dietary health.To empower immediate action to support grassroots food and nutrition activity.To provide basic training in qualitative research methods in nutritional science.Learning Outcomes
- Describe and interpret sociological theories to explain food and nutrition.
- Compare and contrast theoretical interpretations of social roles of food.
- Demonstrate appreciation of autonomy and liberation in the food system.
- Investigate social activity in food and nutrition using experiential methods.
- Propose professional actions nutritionists might use to support social activity.