User Guides Subject Guides > Social Sciences Sociology of Food

The Sociology of Food is the study of food and eating in human society. Research in this field may incorporate aspects of history, anthropology, nutrition or psychology, and aims to answer the question of what role food plays within an underlying social environment.

This is a guide to selected sources of information about the Sociology of Food that are available at URI. To find additional information, conduct a Subject search in the HELIN catalog, using terms such as Food, Food Habits, Food Consumption, Food – Political Aspects, Food – Social Aspects, Nutrition – Social Aspects, or Sociology.

To locate resources concerning Food and Nutrition in our library:  http://www.uri.edu/library/guides/subject/health/nutrition.html.

To locate sources in Food Science:   http://www.uri.edu/library/guides/subject/lifesci/foodsci.html.

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Getting started | Encyclopedias | History of food | Food customs and rituals | Electronic indexes and abstracts | Print indexes and abstracts | Organizations | Bibliographies

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GT2855 .S63 1999

Germov, John and Lauren Williams, eds. A Sociology of Food and Nutrition: The Social Appetite. 1999.

Discusses the study of food and nutrition from a sociological perspective.

GT2855 .M35 1996

McIntosh, William Alex. Sociologies of Food and Nutrition. 1996.

Explores sociological research interests related to food and nutrition.

CCE Oversize HN57 .E58 1993

URI Ref. HN57 .E58 1993

Cayton, Mary Kupiec, Elliott J. Gorn, and Peter W. Williams, eds.  Encyclopedia of American Social History. 3 vols. 1993.

Includes 180 entries on topics of social history in America, including: Food Administration, Food and Wine, Foodways, Eating Disorders, and, more.

URI Ref. HM756 .E53 2003

Christensen, Karen and David Levinson, eds. Encyclopedia of Community:  From the Village to the Virtual World. 4 vols. 2003.

Discusses topics related to the concept of community throughout human society. Includes entries for Food, Food Systems, McDonaldization, and, more.

URI Ref. GN307 .E52 1996

Levinson, David and Melvin Ember, eds. Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology. 4 vols. 2003.

A helpful resource for gaining background information on a range of topics in the field of cultural anthropology, including Food and Diet and Nutritional Anthropology.

URI Ref. HN373 .E63 2001

Stearns, Peter N., ed. Encyclopedic of European Social History from 1350 to 2000. 6 vols. 2001.

Includes more than 200 entries on topics of social history in Europe from 1350 to 2000. Relevant articles include: Food and Diet; Food Riots; Culinary History; and, Drinking.

URI Ref. HN28 .E53 1994

Stearns, Peter N., ed. Encyclopedia of Social History. 1994.

Delivers a general overview of topics in international social history, including entries for Food, Food Production, and, Food Riots.

URI Ref. HM425 .E5 2000

Borgatta, Edgar F., ed. Encyclopedia of Sociology. 4 vols. 2nd ed. 2000.

Articles cover a range of sociological topics, including Diet and Health, Food Supply and Agricultural Innovation, and, Food Supply and Human Ecology.

http://old.lib.ucdavis.edu/exhibits/food/

America the Bountiful: Classic American Food from Antiquity to the Space Age.

Maintained by the nutrition department at the University of California, Davis, this site displays an exhibit chronicling the historical and cultural uses of 10 classic American foods.

CCE Ref. TX353 .C255 2000

URI Ref. TX353 .C255 2000

Kiple, Kenneth F. and Kriemhild Conee Ornelas, eds. Cambridge World History of Food. 2 vols. 2000.

Compilation of nearly 200 scholarly articles concerning the origins and uses of foods worldwide, from ancient times to the present day.

URI Ref.TX355 .T72 1995

Trager, James. The Food Chronology: A Food Lover's Compendium of Events and Ancedotes from Prehistory to the Present. 1995.

Chronology of notable food events from prehistory to 1995.

URI Ref. GT2853 .G8 D35 2003

Dalby, Andrew. Food in the Ancient World from A to Z. 2003.

Entries concern, “significant food, drinks, and aromas of archaic and classical Greece, of the Hellenistic Greek states, and of the Roman Empire.”

URI Ref. TX353 .T6413 1993

Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne. A History of Food. 1993.

A collection of scholarly essays on the social and historical role of food and the human race. Topics include the practice of hunting and gathering, the consumption of salt and cereals, the discovery of stock-breeding and wine, the use of spices, sugar, potatoes, proteins, and more.

http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/food/default.htm

Not By Bread Alone: America's Culinary Heritage.

This site, created by the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell Univesity, “explores the influences and inventions that have shaped American Food.”

URI Ref.TX349 .D38 1999

Davidson, Alan. Oxford Companion to Food. 1999.

Provides historical origins and uses of 2,650 edible plants, animals, and man-made foods.

CCE Ref. GN307 .C68 2001

URI Ref. GN307 .C68 2001

Ember, Melvin and Carol R. Ember, eds. Countries and Their Cultures. 4 vols. 2001.

Explains theories, methodologies, and current issues within the discipline of cultural anthropology.

URI Ref. TX725 .A1 K545 2000

Kittler, Pamela G. and Kathryn P. Sucher. Cultural Foods. 2000.

Describes the food-related traditions and trends of ethnic and religious groups throughout the world.

CCE Ref. GT2850 .E53 2003

URI Ref. GT2850 .E53 2003

Katz, Solomon H., ed. Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. 3 vols. 2003.

Provides information on the roles of food in human culture, from the Stone Age to the not-so-distant future.

URI Ref. TX349 .E45 2004

Smith, Andrew F., eds. Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. 2 vols. 2004.

Contains 800 articles on food-related people, policies, cultural movements, ethnic influences, businesses, emerging technologies, and more.

URI Ref. TX349 .E45 2004

Gay, Kathlyn and Martin Gay. Encyclopedia of North American Eating & Drinking Traditions, Customs, & Rituals. 2004.

Includes descriptions of the use and cultural significance of foods and beverages consumed during rituals, customs, and celebrations in North America.

URI Ref. GT3925 .T46 1997

Henderson, Helene and Sue Ellen Thompson, eds. Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary: Detailing More Than 2,000 Observations from all 50 States and More than 100 Nations. 2nd ed. 1997.

A guide to the traditions and customs of celebratory events throughout the world. Information is provided on food and beverages consumed, and their ritual significance.

http://keyingredients.org/

Key Ingredients: America by Food.

This online companion to a travelling exhibition of the Smithsonian includes information on the history of American food. Provides links to regional American eateries, events, and celebrations, as well access to the American Cookbook Project.

URI Ref. GN333 .W67 1998

Gall, Timothy L., ed. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life. 1998.

A helpful source for orienting the researcher to the many diverse cultures of the world. Includes maps and color photographs.

Journal and magazine articles concerning the Sociology of Food can be found using the following electronic databases, by conducting a keyword search or using subject headings such as Diet, Food, Food Consumption, Food Habits, Food -- Social Aspects, Nutrition, or Sociology. To learn more about locating articles through the URI Library, visit:   http://www.uri.edu/library/guides/general/periodicalsteps.html

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Academic Search Premier.

Provides full-text access to more than 3,180 magazines, journals, and newspaper covering a range of topics, including sociology. Coverage varies by publication, but generally covers the early-to-mid 1990s to present.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Anthropological Index Online.

Indexes journals in anthropology. May be searched by continent or region, as well as author, title, or subject. Coverage from 1957 to the present.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Family Index.

Indexes articles on the family from approximately 1,500 journals.  Coverage from 1995 to the present.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Science Direct.

Provides access to the full-text content of scholarly journals published by Elsevier from 1995 to the present. Journals cover a broad scope of the sciences, including sociology and anthropology.

http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html

Sociological Abstracts.

Indexes and abstracts more than 2,000 journals, books, book reviews, dissertations, and conference papers in the field of sociology.

Journal articles can also be located by searching one of the following print indexes or abstracts.

URI Ref. GN1 .A15 (v. 1, 1970– )

Abstracts in Anthropology.

Abstracts articles from journals in archaeology, cultural and physical anthropology, and linguistics.

Pell Index (v. 11, 1988/1989 – v.16, 1993/1994)

CCE Index (v.1, 1978/79 – )

URI Ref. TX341 F66 (v.1, 1969 – )

General Science Index.

Subject index to periodicals covering a broad range of the sciences.

URI Ref. TX341 .F66 (v.1, 1969 – )

Food Science & Technology Abstracts.

A bibliography to over 20,000 monographs and over 120,000 journals with citations given in their original language. Includes information on materials and methods, politics and power, urban development and technology.

URI Ref.Z7161 .I593 1956-1992

International Bibliography of Social and Cultural Anthropology.

Abstracts articles from more than 1,800 periodicals, books, conference proceedings, theses, and reports.

http://www.foodpsychology.com/index.html

Food Psychology.

Created by the Food and Brand Lab at the University of Illinois, this site contains links to professional reports, presentations, articles, and original research on the psychology of food.

http://www.ucm.es/info/isa/servers.htm

International Sociological Association.

Links to a number of helpful resources, including eleven other professional associations and organizations, and more than 25 electronic indexes, guides, and databases.

http://www.arts.adelaide.edu.au/centrefooddrink/

Research Center for the History of Food and Drink.

Produced by the Department of History at the University of Adelaide in South Australia, this site provides the full text of reviews and reports published by members of the Research Centre, as well as a bibliography of current information and related websites.

http://www.worldfoodscience.org/cms/

World of Food Science.

Published by the Institute of Food Technologists and the International Union of Food Technology, this online magazine offers full-text to archived materials for and about the global food industry.  Free access is also provided for association news, regional reports, and policy papers.

URI Ref.Z5118 .F58 F73

Freedman, Robert L. Human Food Uses: A Cross-Cultural, Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography.  1981.

Indexes more than 9,000 articles, government documents, books, and dissertations on the subject of human food usage.

http://socserv2.mcmaster.ca/w3virtsoclib/

Virtual Library Sociology Page.

Directory to online journals, indexes, newletters, associations, and research centres.

http://www.foodhabits.info

World Food Habits Bibliography.

This website, authored by anthropology professor Robert Dirks of Illinois State Unversity, provides links to bibliographies for more than 40 topics dealing with the study of diet and nutrition.

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M.D. 4/05.