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Oct 23, 2026
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SOC 2100 - Sociology of Food
Credits: 3
Catalog Description
This course examines the fundamental significance of food as it relates to both individuals and social structures to help students gain a more in-depth understanding of local and global sociological patterns related to food. In this course, students will develop an understanding of food-related topics such as: the social construction of food as a form of cultural expression and identity, the inequities pertaining to food, the coexistence of epidemic hunger and obesity, the structural policies related to the production, distribution, and consumption patterns of food at the global level. Social change and social movements attempting to bring attention to and/or alter contemporary social issues related to food and sustainability at the local and global levels are also addressed.
Recommended Skills, Abilities, or Coursework: College-level reading and writing
Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) Goal Area(s) fulfilled: Goal 08: Global Perspective, Goal 10: People and the Environment
Additional fee to student: No
Learner Outcomes
- Develop an understanding of how sociological concepts, theoretical perspectives, and research methodology can be applied to contemporary issues related to food.
- Evaluate current food-related policies and practices that relate to corporate and local control over food and water resources.
- Recognize the structure of globalized, industrial agriculture and how it impacts food systems.
- Analyze the potential success or failure of contemporary social movements related to course topics by applying social movement theories and proposing solutions.
- Evaluate competing explanations and solutions for social and environmental problems related to food.
- Articulate actions that could be taken to become an environmental steward.
Major Areas of Course Content
- Theoretical perspectives and research methods as they pertain to understanding issues related to food
- Social constructionism and other course material (such as the sociological imagination) as they relate to food
- Food as a form of cultural expression and identity
- Socioeconomic, race/ethnic, gender, local, and global inequalities related to food
- National and global practices and policies related to food, water, and sustainability
- The social impact of current U.S. and global policies that affect the production, distribution, and consumption of food
- Social policies that influence contemporary issues related to food in the United States (such as school lunch programs, public assistance programs, and food deserts) and support for and resistance to implementation of these policies
- Global issues and inequalities regarding the production, distribution, and consumption of food, and how these are related to corporate dominance, sustainability, and other social issues
- Social movement theories that explain the (potential) success or failure of social movements related to food
Credit for Prior Learning Options
No credit for prior learning option is available for this course.
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